Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
by Terror MGS
Summary: A novelization of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
1. Tanker Chapter, Initial Infiltration

"The Hudson River, two years ago. We had classified intelligence that a new type of Metal Gear was scheduled for transport. The whole thing stank, but our noses had been out in the cold too long." 

The intense rain, dense fog, swift winds, and darkness of night caused drivers on the George Washington Bridge to slow their journey into one of the largest cities in the world. As the cars passed, their headlights illuminated a lone man walking intently on the sidewalk of the bridge, his heavy boots creating large splashes of water with each step. The large drops of rain on the man's dark poncho shimmered with each passing car. The heavy rain's only affect on the man was annoyance; the cigarette in the right corner of his mouth threatened to go out at any moment. The hood of the poncho didn't help to keep the rain off either the cigarette or the man's face. What it did do, however, was cast a dark shadow onto his face. The man eventually finished his cigarette, disposing of it by throwing the butt off the bridge into the rough waters of the Hudson River below.

After a deep breath, the man started to jog down the sidewalk of the bridge. The jog developed into a sprint. There was a loud electric crash of sound as his poncho was swept off by the wind. The poncho's hood could no longer hide the man's face, but there wasn't a face to cover anymore. In place of where the man was, only a light green-tinted outline of the man's form could be perceived, light refracting around his body. The effect was nothing short of invisibility.

After reaching the middle of the bridge, the green form leaped off of the side of the bridge, his arms reaching out. Below him was a passing oil tanker on the river, heading out to sea. He quickly reached for a small device at his right hip and thumbed the control on it. His descent slowed greatly; the bungee cord he was attached to was becoming taut. Too taut; he wasn't going to have enough bungee cord to make it down to the deck of the enormous ship. The man fiddled with the same device again, this time turning the small dial the opposite direction. The new length of rope would allow for landing, but it wasn't going to be pretty--his trajectory had already been altered. Instead of landing on the aft deck, the man swung in and made hard contact just above the bridge portholes with his feet. His knees bent, and he pushed hard against the metal, sending him backwards away from the bridge. The man unhooked the bungee cord from his belt and performed a backflip, closing in on the deck below. He finally hit the ground, his legs bending at the knees and his hands on the ground to help break the long fall. Upon contact with the ground, a blast of light and a long bang of static sliced through the air, playing against the lightning and the continual drone of rain striking against miscellaneous objects. The man's invisibility was gone. He began to look up, his initial infiltration complete.

However, another man sitting in a helicopter, staring through a pair of binoculars in his right hand, and spinning a Single Action Army in his left, was watching the landing. He was dressed in military BDUs, a black armband on his left arm, and a bandolier of bullets around his right shoulder. His old white hair in a long ponytail, and his white waxed moustache were both groomed meticulously.

"Our boy is right on schedule." The helicopter went to circle the oil tanker. "He'll know soon enough." The old man holstered his SAA.

The man on the ship arose from one knee much like a newly-knighted soldier in the middle ages would. The man's greenish skin-tight sneaking suit showed off his physical prowess. The suit was in a state of disrepair, being two years old, but still functional. Three weapon magazine pouches were on the belt, along with other various pouches. Four magazine pouches hung from the two straps on his chest to accommodate the reserve ammunition for his pistol, which resided in its holster on his thigh. His face looked rugged, accented with some stubble of facial hair, and showed years of experience. A long blue bandana was tied around his forehead, the frayed ends dangling rippling in the harsh wind. A brown mullet ran down to the base of his neck.

As if becoming aware of his own presence, he ran for the nearest piece of cover and crouched down. He tapped his neck behind his right ear twice and began to use his codec communications tool. A connection was established, and the brown haired man began to speak.

"This is Snake. Do you hear me, Otacon?"

"Loud and clear, Snake," came a voice into Snake's ear. The voice was assertive, but nervous.

"Kept you waiting, huh? I'm at the 'sneak point'".

"Everything going okay?"

"The stealth camo's busted. Landing impact," Snake said, referring to the invisibility and burst of light and noise at the landing.

"We must have overused it. Sorry, but you're going to have to deal with it. You're not in the military anymore," Otacon replied, apologetically.

"Right. I didn't plan on relying on this gadget anyway."

"The private sector's not so bad, is it? Privacy guaranteed…"

"I'm happy as long as no one gives me anmore unwanted gifts.," Snake said, talking about FOXDIE, a genetically engineered virus that seeks out its targets by their DNA. Once activated, the virus disrupts the target's heart functions and causes what looks like in all respects, a heart attack.

"You mean that thing with Naomi "

"And I can't say I miss the chattering nanny."

"Mei Ling's not so bad. That reminds me: I have to get in touch with her again about that new Natik flashware."

"Diverting toys from the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center again? Give her a message from me: someone will find out, sooner or later. She's better off assuming it's sooner and quit while she's safe."

"Too true." Okay, Snake, let's go to work. You know how the technical specs of Metal Gear were sold on the black market after Shadow Moses?"

"All Ocelot's doing…"

"Exactly. And now every state, group, and dotcom has its own version of Metal Gear."

"Not exactly a classified weapon for today's nuclear powers."

"This new one seems to have been designed to wipe the floor with all the other models. The only consistent description is that it's an amphibious, anti-Metal Gear vehicle."

"That explains why this one is under Marine Corps. jurisdiction."

"The mission objective is to make visual confirmation of the new Metal Gear being transported by that tanker and bring back photographic evidence," explained Otacon, "But I want you first to go up to the top level of the infrastructure, to the bridge. We need to find out where the tanker is headed."

"A little reconnaissance, huh?"

"There's too much we don't know about this new prototype. Capabilities, deployment method – we don't even know how close it is to completion. If we know where the testing arena is, I can start to draw some reasonable conclusions."

"Alright. I'll head to the bridge ASAP."

"Try to avoid confrontations. Our goal is to collect evidence on Metal Gear development and expose it to the world. It would be best if you could get out of there without alerting anyone."

"Don't worry. I know the drill – we aren't terrorists.."

"Very good. Don't you forget that you're part of 'Philanthropy' now – an anti-Metal Gear organization and officially recognized by the UN."

"Recognized, but still fringe, Otacon."

"Alright. Let's look at your gear. Your weapon is a tranquilizer gun converted from a Beretta M92F."

"M9…"

"It's a little hard to work with, because you'll have to reload after each shot since the slide locks."

"Better than scavenging at the mission site. Good suppressor too."

"The chemical stun will take effect in a few seconds and last for hours. You can take down an elephant with that thing. Check out the laser sighting, too. The lengths of the anesthetic round will vary on what part of the body is hit. We're talking tens of seconds between hitting the limbs, chest, or head As for the equipment….Hey, Snake! Cigarettes? What's wrong with you!"

"It's kind of a lucky charm."

"You haven't read the Surgeon General's Warning, have you? Here's the digital camera. Works almost the same way as your old one."

Snake takes the digital camera and surveys the surrounding area with it. He spots several maintenance workers garbed in rain gear patrolling the deck.

"They don't look armed…" Snake remarks as he zooms in on their hands and pockets. All he finds are industrial-strength flashlights.

"Hey, Earth to Snake. These are nice, upstanding Marines, not terrorists. Don't get caught; you're in stealth mode here."

"Sure. And if it comes to that, a little beauty sleep never hurt anyone." Snake pans the camera all around, spotting three sentries. "By the way, Otacon, are you sure of this evidence?"

"Absolutely. Hacked it out of the Pentagon's classified files myself."

"No traces?"

"Oh, please. I'm too good for that."

"But this might be a trap. Remember, we've got a price on our heads."

"You're just being paranoid."  
"I hope so. Those men – you wouldn't think they were anything but civilians from here."

"With all the ships passing in the river and in the harbor, putting uniformed Marines on the deck would be a bad idea. People can get a clear view from riverside, too."

"The waterline's too high. According to the navigational plans, this ship should have discharged its cargo upriver."

"It's in there. No doubt about it."

"The military trains you to watch for threats from the stern on a boat. That's SOP for counter-terror ops, too. Security should be tighter."

"You worry too much."

"Where's the target?"

"Satellite surveillance is a major international pastime these days. I'd say the Metal Gear is in the cargo holds, safely below the deck. Do you see the entrance to the holds?"

"Looks like there are a few entryways into the crew quarters," Snake said as he looked for hatches with his camera. Just then, a helicopter flew overhead. "A chopper? Wha--!" Snake saw movement from his digital camera.

He zoomed in on a Marine, walking toward him. Behind the Marine was a BDU-clad figure with a helmet and night-vision goggles on, sneaking up on the unarmed Marine. The Marine spun around, and the unknown person slashed at the Marine in his stomach, then again at his neck to deliver the killing blow. The Marine fell over, dropping his yellow flashlight, dead. Snake saw more movement to his left, and zoomed in. Another Marine was being stalked by a person wearing the same military uniform as the previous killer. The soldier dealt a powerful kick to the back of the Marine's right knee. The Marine lost his balance and dropped to one knee. The commando grabbed the Marine's face from behind him, pulled his head back, and then slit his throat. More movement. Another soldier ran up behind a Marine, covered his mouth with his left hand, then slit his throat with his right. The four commandos threw the bodies overboard, then joined together to form a squad. The leader gave various hand signals and swept the area for any other Marines.

"Looks like we're not the only ones after Metal Gear tonight," Snake said to Otacon over the codec.

"Is that a chopper I just heard?"

"Affirmative. Probably another cavalry. What's their game? Hijack?"

"They're probably targeting the ship's controls."

"Otacon, how many men do you need to take over a tanker of this size?"

"The ship is run by a computer, so…I'd say about eighteen people."

Snake looked at one of the soldiers through his camera and noted his weapon.

"AKS-74u?" Snake continued to observe with his camera, and spoted an older man, who was wearing a fur coat and was giving orders to the soldiers. He grabbed a radio from a passing soldier, shouted into it, then quickly gave it back to the owner. "Russians?"

"You sure?" Otacon asked.

"No Marine barber touched that head of hair." Snake pressed the shutter on the camera. "I'm transmitting a photo. Let's get an ID on him ASAP."

"I'm on it." Just then, the humming of two choppers started up again.

"Looks like the tanker's theirs now." Snake looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of the helicopters. The fog and clouds hid their bodies, but not their noise. "KA-60…Kasatka."

"Kasatka? Kamov chopper, right? 'Killer Whale'…"

"We need to get a fix on who they are."

"Judging by their transport, aren't they some kind of military commandos?"

"Not necessarily. It could be the KA-62, the civil model."

"Look, Snake, all we need in the photographic evidence of Metal Gear. As long as we have it, we can put the whole thing online and blow the whole thing wide open. So, no pyrotechnics, okay?"

"Alright. I'll do my best."

"This isn't like Shadow Moses. Reach me if anything happens. My frequency is 142.12."

"How can I check in and save my progress?"

"I'll do it. There's a frequency put aside for it – 140.96.Sorry, no Mei Ling this time. Call me if you want to save."

"Got it."

"I'll be waiting just past the Verrazano Bridge. You need to be off that ship by then."

"I'll be in touch." With the farewell statement to Otacon, Snake started out on his way to the bridge.


	2. Tanker Chapter, Enter Olga

Tanker Chapter, Sneaking I   
Snake arose from his crouch position on the aft deck of the oil tanker and ran to the starboard side of the ship. He went around a small set of stairs and came to another set of stairs, next to a hatch leading inside the ship. Snake carefully climbed the stairs, halting near the top. He flattened himself against the wall and peeked around the corner. A sentry was posted on this landing. Opting against trying to sneak around him, Snake retraced his steps and tried to enter the door at the base of the steps. Snake grasped the circular handle on the hatch, but it wouldn't move. It was locked. Annoyed, Snake traveled back up the steps, stopping at the top again. The guard started to move toward the steps, then turned to look off of the stern of the boat. Snake seized this opportunity and ran behind him, quickly opening the hatch just before the next staircase toward the fore of the ship. Snake stepped inside and closed the hatch. 

It was good to finally get out of the torrential rain. Snake emerged inside a small corridor, with a set of stairs to his right. He looked up the stairs to find the passage blocked by two heavy crates at the top of the stairs. Snake moved down the corridor, water dripping off of him as he moved, coming to a doorway. Snake drew his M9 and flattened against the wall. He peeked around the corner and saw no one, so he continued down his path. At the end of the very short hallway, there was a path to the left and a path to the right. Snake looked right and saw the shadow of a guard staring out of a porthole. His gaze seemed quite focused outside, so Snake tiptoed around him and continued on his way. Snake turned left at the end of the hall to find the hallways were symmetrical. Upon investigation of the port side stairway, Snake found it was clear. He moved up the stars cautiously up to Deck-C. At the top of the stairs, Snake found himself at the beginning of yet another hallway. He flattened and peeked, finding no one patrolling the hallway. However, a security camera was installed at the top of the left wall. Flattening himself against the left wall, Snake shimmied along, passing under the camera and into its blindspot. Snake came to a set of stairs, which he hastily climbed and entered Deck-D. Snake turned around at the top of the stairs, following the path around. There was a door on Snake's right, but he decided against investigating. Instead, he turned left to walk down a passageway and took a right. Snake saw two tall flat dark identical objects on either side of the hall with small packets at the base of each. Just then, Snake's codec chimed, and he answered the call.

"Snake, wait! Don't move!" It was Otacon.

"I see it. Some kind of device on both sides of the hall…infrared sensors?"

"Right. And they're linked to –"

"Let me guess. Semtex."

"Exactly. Plastic explosives. If you trip the sensors…"

"I'll be sleeping with the fishes along with this entire ship."

"That sounds about right."

"Hm, there aren't that many infrared beams…"

"Maybe you could get past those without setting off the explosives. If you need to see where the beams are, you can use the usual method."

"There's a fire extinguisher over there."

"Break it open and try scattering some of the extinguishing chemicals."

With Otacon's warning, Snake proceeded. He moved close to the sensors, careful not to trip them. There was a fire extinguisher on the other side of the beams, but Snake was too worried that the sound may alert nearby guards to his presence. Instead, Snake produced his small package of cigarettes and his lighter. Snake took one of the cigarettes and stuck it between his lips, then put away the rest. He opened his lighter and flicked it on, lighting the cigarette. Snake inhaled, igniting the end. He took a few puffs, then took a deep breath of smoke. Blowing the smoke out slowly along the length of the left sensor, Snake could see the laser beams going from one sensor to the other. There was a notable absence of any lasers near the bottom, though. Snake lay down prone and carefully crawled beneath the lasers. Once on the other side, Snake stood up and put out his cigarette. Moving on, he found the set of stairs leading to the bridge.

Snake climbed the stairs to emerge at the bridge. Pale, dead crewmembers laid strewn about on the floor and control consoles, their necks sliced, blood running down their necks. Aside from the cadavers, the bridge was empty. Still, Snake moved forward cautiously to the center control panel, and looked out the window. He saw two transport helicopters moving toward the ship.

"So it is the Kasatka…Russian choppers!" One of the black helicopters swooped in and hovered over the deck of the ship. A rope dropped from the cargo area, and the three soldiers inside proceeded to fast-rope down to the deck. As soon as each soldier hit the ground, He got clear of the rope and covered his comrades. As soon as each was on the ground, they started to move down the ship. Without a word, each covered his own sector, clearing their route with unrivaled efficiency. As all this was going on, the second Kasatka hovered above the squad, covering them with sharpshooters as they made their way into the ship from the multiple entry points.

Snake turned his mind back to the mission. He moved to the computer and punched a few keys, and the data he was searching for appeared on the monitor. The codec chimed in once more.

"Snake, did you find out where that ship is headed?" Otacon asked.

"I'm looking at it – 35 degrees longitude, latitude around 58."

"More than 500 miles off the coast of the Bermudas, out in the middle of the Atlantic…So the prototype is ready for solo testing – it's basically combat-worthy. That area is outside the Second Fleet's operational range, too. It must be a stand-alone Marine project – which means this prototype Metal Gear must be designed for independent deployment, without any Naval assistance. Anyway, analysis can wait till later. Snake, you need to go down to the holds and locate the actual Metal --" Otacon stopped his sentence short at the sound of a loud metallic clank emanating from outside the room Snake was in.

Snake left the bridge via a door to the left. He found himself outside, in the rain again. He heard the crackle of a radio, and a voice with a thick Russian accent coming through it. Snake ran toward the source of the sound and took cover behind a box.

"…Shalashaska has landed," the Russian voice said, "I'm on my way to the tanker holds. Report your status." This time, a new, feminine, but equally Russian, voice replied into the radio.

"Control room, communications, and engine room are under control. All entry and exit points to the tanker holds secured. Infrared sensors placed and operational." Snake peeked out from behind the box to see someone dressed in a pair of baggy camouflage pants, boots, a sleeveless white and grey horizontally striped shirt, gloves, and a green hat covering her face.

"Good work. Are the explosives in place?" crackled the radio again. The woman switched the radio from her right hand to her left.

"Yes, they're all planted."

"Listen. Once we have what we came for, the tanker will be scuttled."

"And the vehicle's pilot?"

"He's the only one who underwent the VR training. No one else can do it."

"Are you sure you can trust him?"

"Your part in the mission is complete. You are to leave at once."

"No, it's not over yet!" The woman swung her arm in the air violently.

The old man from earlier leaned against a wall as he spoke into the radio.

"I can see the moon, even in this storm, pale as death. I have a bad feeling about this mission...You swore this to me. That you would leave the unit, once the mission was complete. Do not worry. This is a country of 'liberty'."

"No! This is where I belong, with the unit. I have nowhere else to go," She took her pistol out of its holster and stared at it. "Father, I want to stay and fight."

"There is no choice to make here, Olga! Need I remind you that you are carrying my grandchild?" Olga looked down and put her hand on her flat stomach.

"..."

"You will be on the helicopter out of here, now!" Olga put the radio down and looked up.

"Damn it!" A Kasatka appeared in front of Olga, waiting further instructions. She waved it off, ignoring her father's instructions. As soon as the helicopter was out of sight, Snake jumped out from hiding and aimed his M9 at Olga.

"Freeze! Hands over your head! Now!" Olga complied, her handgun hanging idly with her finger in the trigger guard. "Toss your gun overboard. Slowly." Snake motioned his head to the right to indicate the direction. She hesitated for a moment, then threw the weapon into the river. Snake stepped to the right to get a better angle on Olga. "A woman? Show your face."

"You men – You're all the same," she said as she removed your cap. She let go of it, and the wind took it and nearly hit Snake.

"Who are you?"

"We are nomads. Wanderers." Olga slowly tried to move backwards, but Snake stopped her.

"I said don't move!"

"Americans…So you shoot women, too?"

"I'm a nomad, too," Snake shook his head. "What else do you have there?" Snake pointed with his left hand while keeping his M9 aimed at Olga, "Take the knife and toss it." Snake motioned with his head again. Olga reached down with her right hand and unsheathed her large knife, the blade near her pinky. She bent down to set the knife on the ground. "Not there. Toss it overboard." Olga stood up again, with her hand above her head. "Hold that position. Now, turn around."

"You know what you're doing." The ship lurched to the left, throwing Snake off balance for a moment. "It's stopped raining," Olga observed. "Not too shabby, is it? New York, I mean." Just then, Olga spun around one hundred eighty degrees, the handle of the knife coming down pointed directly at Snake. A gunshot rang out, and a bullet was fired at Snake. He jerked to the left, narrowly missing the round. Olga then dropped her knife and drew her secondary pistol while taking cover behind a large crate with a tarp over it. Snake recovered from the shot, and tried to take aim at Olga again, but she was already behind cover. "And that brings our tour to its conclusion!"

"Scout knife with a surprise – you a Spetsnaz?"

"I think you deserve a little credit. No one's ever dodged that shot of mine," Olga said, ignoring Snake's inquiry, "But no one gets lucky twice, either."

The battle ensued just as the downpour began again. Snake ran forward and took cover behind the metal crates stacked in front of him. Olga rushed towards Snake, firing her pistol rapidly as she took cover behind a box. She then ran back behind the tarp-covered crates. "I've been with the unit since I was born. I grew up on the battlefield. Conflict and victory are my parents. The unit is my life, my family. We've shared everything -- all the bad, and all the good. I have no one -- nothing except the unit. Nothing else matters to me," Olga said to Snake as she reloaded her handgun. Olga then pulled the pin on a grenade, and threw the explosive in a large arc, landing it right next to Snake. Snake panicked and dove out from behind the crates to the safety of another stack of conveniently places boxes. As the grenade detonated, Snake safely out of the shrapnel radius, he peeked out from behind the boxes to see Olga behind a crate. She was still looking at where Snake was before he relocated. Snake took aim with his M9, but Olga saw him out of the corner of her eye and fired three shots at him as she sprinted to another piece of cover. Because of her movement, her aim was off, and each round missed Snake. Not taking any chances, Snake slid back behind the box. Olga peeked around the corner of an eight-foot high obelisk and fired four bullets as suppressive fire, then moved back behind the obelisk. Snake seized this opportunity to move to the stack of boxes on the right. Olga peeked out again and fired on the same place. She still thought Snake was in the same position. "Whoever you are, you're not stopping us," Olga taunted as she began to run behind the tarp-covered crates. Snake jumped out from behind his boxes to shoot at Olga as she was running away from Snake. He lined up his shot, but just before he pulled the trigger, a sudden gust of wind pushed Snake's aim to the left, causing him to miss his shot. Snake cursed as he cocked the M9 and got back behind the boxes. Olga reached the safe haven of the tarp-covered boxes, and shot the rear two ropes holding the tarp down. As a result, the harsh wind picked the tarp up and caused it to flap about violently to the left in the wind. Olga hid behind the flapping tarp and fired a volley of bullets toward Snake. They all missed, since she didn't have anything to aim at. Snake took aim with his M9 and shot out the other two tarp lashings, causing it to fly away in the wind. Olga stood out in the open, waiting for Snake. He found this odd, but he took his chance. Just as he jumped out and took aim, Olga turned around and shot the rear corner of a spotlight behind her, causing the spotlight to shine directly in Snake's eyes. He shut his eyes for a moment, then opened them and stared directly into the light. He raised his M9 and fired directly in front of him. The tranquilizer round pierced through the light's glass and shattered the bulb inside. Snake then seeked the cover of the boxes to his right. He rested for a moment to let his eyes revert back to normal. Before he could, though, Olga threw another grenade. "Take this!" Annoyed, Snake dove out of the grenade's range again. "Ahh!" Snake heard the grunt from Olga and leaped out from behind the box he was behind to find Olga fumbling with her pistol's magazine. It had slipped out of her wet hands, and she bent down to pick it up. Snake waited for her to stand back up, his weapon's laser sight pointed exactly where he estimated her neck to be when she stood. Once she picked up her clip, she stood. Snake fired. The tranquilizer round lodged itself directly in Olga's jugular vein. She dropped.

Snake moved forward with his M9 aimed at Olga's limp form, leaning onto the railing. When Snake moved to take the pistol Olga was still holding onto with her right hand, she dropped it, and her body fell to the floor. Snake holstered his M9 and reached down to grab Olga's pistol. He inspected it, releasing the slide lock and stared at it for a few moments.

"Hmm…," His gaze was interrupted by the penetrating humming noise coming from above him. Snake immediately looked up, to find a small unmanned aerial vehicle hovering about him. The UAV had tem small rotors rotating inside a small ring. A tripod was formed with three poles on top of the ring, holding a small camera on top of it. A bolt of lightening struck behind the UAV. The camera focused on Snake, then the small craft sped away. Snake watched the UAV until it was out of sight. "CYPHER?" Snake established a connection with Otacon via the codec.

"Otacon, the ship appears to be under their control," Snake began, "The men have Russian gear, but I haven't been able to find anything else about their origin.

"I know who they are," Otacon said solemnly.

"You do?"

"We've ID'd the old man."

"Who is he?"

"Sergei Gurlukovich."

"Gurlukovixh! One of Ocelot's allies?"

"Yeah… The GRU colnel. He's the one Ocelot was supposed to meet up with after Shadow Moses."

"They're after Metal Gear."

"Everything's changed. This is not going to be as simple as we thought."

"You could say that. I saw a surveillance remote just now; it look like the CYPHER."

"A Marine CYPHER-T?"

"No, Army."

"First the Marines, then the Russians – Now the Army?"

"You're right; this isn't going to be simple."

"Snake – There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

"We didn't dig up this info – about the new Metal Gear – on our own. Not like usual."

"How did you find out, then?"  
"It was a tip. An anonymous tip."

"Anonymous? You never trusted those. Why would you start now?"  
"I ah – I have a younger sister. A stepsister. We have different parents. I only knew her for two years."

"You never mentioned her before. So…?"

"The sender of the tip was 'E.E.'."

"'E.E.'?"

"Her name is Emma, but I always called her 'E.E.'."

"Emma Emmerich?"

"Yeah. It just caught my eye, you know? I figured it was a coincidence, but I couldn't get it out of my mind. There's really no one out there who knows about her."

"When was the last time you saw her?"  
"Over ten years ago."

"You think it's a trap? To lure us out here?"

"I don't know. After I got the tip, I did break into the Pentagon system to get confirmation."

"Okay."

Watch your back, Snake. Maybe I screwed up."

"I've got a light-equipped USP," Snake referred to the pistol he picked up from Olga, "I can take them on now. There's no ammo, but it takes a 9mm, just like the Marine's M9. I'll find those somewhere around here."

"Don't raise too much racket with that thing."

"I hear you." Snake closed the connection and started for the holds.


	3. Tanker Chapter, Sneaking I

Tanker Chapter, Sneaking II

Snake stood over Olga's unconscious body, with his M9 drawn. He only had four rounds left for it, and it was still raining, without any sign of it letting up. Snake moved around to the right of the bridge, and passed a set of stairs leading up to the crow's nest. He came upon an area identical from that which he just fought Olga. When he got to the corner, he heard a hatch open, then footsteps, then the hatch close. Snake pressed up against the wall, and peeked around the corner. A Gurlukovich soldier was walking toward the edge of the platform, with his back turned to Snake. Snake decided to make a run for it, and got to the bridge hatch unseen. He began to open the hatch, slowly but surely, and eventually made it back inside the bridge. Snake inspected one of the Marine's bodies, and found fifteen 9mm bullets. Snake took the time to load the magazine that was in the USP, because he knew that when he needed it, he wouldn't have to load it. Once the USP was loaded and put away in favor of the non-lethal M9, he walked down the stairs to reach Deck-D.

Moving to the right, towards the Semtex, Snake heard more footsteps. He got down on his stomach, and crawled under the laser beams once again. When he was directly under the beams, he saw a patrol moving toward him from the left. He hadn't seen Snake yet, but he was going to soon. Snake knew this, and he quickly aimed his M9 at the man's head, and pulled the trigger. The dart hit the guard square in the temple, and he dropped immediately, the anesthetic taking effect. Snake crawled out from under the lasers and moved on, traveling down the stairs to Deck-C.

As Snake approached the bottom of the stairs, he saw the hallway's guard walk in the direction Snake planned on going. Snake walked over to the wall where the hallway opened up, and flattened his back against it, waiting for the sentry to return. As expected, the man turned around once he reached the end of the hall and started to walk back toward the stairs. He passed right by Snake, not seeing him, and kept moving in the opposite direction. Snake saw the security camera on the wall at the last second, dodging out of its view and against the wall. Snake reached the stairs and proceeded down them.

Snake reached Deck-B and moved up to the hallway leading to where he wanted to go. The corridor up ahead turned to the right, and Snake saw the shadow from the sentry posted in the hallway projecting into view. As the shadow moved to the right, Snake pressed up against the wall and peeked around the corner, watching the guard. When the guard reached the end of the hall, he stood there for a moment, then turned around to the right and walked back toward Snake. Snake watched him another two times, and each time, the guard did exactly the same thing. So, when the guard began to walk away for the fourth time, Snake silently followed him. When the guard got to the end of the corridor, Snake pressed up against the left wall, right next to the guard. The guard turned around to his right, like clockwork, and walked away from Snake. The sneaking expert continued around the corner down the hall. Snake came across a door on his right, and entered it.

Upon reaching the other side of the door, Snake found himself standing on the top landing of a staircase that connected with another just like it on the left, then turned to the right and formed another set of stairs leading down to Deck-A, the crew's lounge. Directly in front of the stairs was a large separating window with passageways to the left and to the right of it, with tables and chairs behind it. To the right of the tables was a small bar, various bottles lining the shelves behind it. A guard walked the corridor between the window and the stairs. Once the guard was past the stairs and heading left, Snake hurriedly ran down the stairs and to the right, entering a small area with a large set of stairs going down. Snake took to the stairs, and reached the bottom of the stairs to find a door on the right. Snake walked through the door.

Snake was in the engine room, on the starboard side. Snake walked up the corridor to find a row of four lockers. Snake tried opened the one on the far right, only to find it locked. So, he tried the one to the left of it, and it opened with ease. Snake looked through the locker to find mostly personal effects: letters, deodorant, a toothbrush, and some pictures. However, upon closer inspection, Snake found thirty 9mm bullets worth of magazines. Snake took these and put them in his magazine holsters on his sneaking suit. Snake closed the locker and moved on to the next one. This one was unlocked as well, but Snake found nothing useful. Closing the locker, he went to open the last one. The door quickly opened on its own after Snake twisted the handle. Snake saw a Marine in yellow coveralls stuffed in the locker with its throat slashed. Snake stepped back as the cadaver fell forward onto the ground. Finishing in this area, Snake moved toward the door on his left.

He opened the door to have his senses attacked by the loud, constant noise of the gigantic engine that powered the tanker. Upon coming back to his senses, Snake found found a guard ahead of him, stretching his arms above his head, standing overlooking a long drop down to the next level. The guard was going to turn around any second. Snake had to take action. He punched the guard with his right hand, then his left hand, and finished with a round-about kick. The kick sent the guard over the rail, falling on top of a guard below. Both were knocked unconscious. Snake continued down the catwalk to a set of stairs at the end of the walkway. A guard below the stairs began to walk away from Snake, unaware of his presence. Snake eagerly walked down the stairs to come to a rail overlooking another level below him. With the guard coming back on his patrol, Snake jumped over the railing and caught himself on the ledge. He let go of the ledge and dropped about five feet to find himself on the lowest level in the engine room. There was a large crate to the left of him, and a wall to the right of him. The crate was held up by legs, which created a two-foot space between it and the floor; the perfect place to hide. Snake got down on his stomach, and entered the crawlspace. He spied a small connecting bridge to the left of the crate, joining the ground he was on, and the walkway immediately surrounding the engine. The only trouble was that there was a guard watching the bridge from a corner. Snake knew sneaking around him would be difficult even for him, so he drew his M9 and aimed it at the guard's heart. Snake fired the dart, and hit its mark, spreading the anesthetic into his heart, and in turn, his entire body. The guard dropped in less than two seconds. Only one dart left. Snake moved out from under the crate and ran across the small footbridge to the other side.

Snake moved to the left after crossing, and came to a long set of stairs going up. Snake bypassed the stairs, instead opting for the long catwalk to the right of it. About a quarter way down the catwalk, Snake saw a sentry coming his way from the end of the path. Snake turned around and sprinted back behind cover. The sentry stopped and turned around at the place where Snake first saw him. The guard began to move back to where he came from, and Snake darted out and tried to catch up to him, but he wouldn't be able to in time. Instead, Snake aimed his M9 and fired, the dart finding its way into the back of the guard's neck. The guard looked around for a bit, but then shrugged it off. He was unconscious before he had the time to investigate his neck. Snake moved up and followed the walkway around to another set of stairs. Snake followed them up to come to a landing. More stairs. At the top of these stairs, there was a soldier overlooking the rest of the engine room. Snake moved swiftly around the man, and he went through the door at the end of the walkway. As he moved up the corridor, he came to a room with only one way to progress: through a door in a short hallway that had Semtex hooked up to three sets of laser beams running across the walls of the hallway. Snake's codec chirped.

"Snake, there's another set of infrared sensors in place," Otacon warned, "If you touch that, the explosives will detonate and that ship will be pulverized."

"I'm not in the mood to go sleep with the fishes," Snake quipped, "But there are too many sensors. Looks like I'll have to find another way."

"No need to worry; there's a way through. Take a close look: Do you see the thing with the blinking green light right next to the explosives? That's the control unit for the sensors. Destroy that and the sensors stop functioning. You can't get in close enough to touch it, so you'll have to shoot it out. But the M9's tranquilizer rounds won't work. The USP you picked up should to the trick. Use that gun," Otacon didn't give Snake a chance to reply as he closed the connection. Following his friend's advice, Snake began to shoot out the control units for the laser beams. There was one on the ground, just to the right of some Semtex – Snake shot it with ease. When he did, he heard a set of sensors go offline. There was another on top of a shelf behind a pack of Semtex. Snake had to stand on his toes to get a clear shot, but a clear shot he did get. The last sensor was just to the left of the door down the corridor; Snake had to move past the other two deactivated sensors to reach it, but he shot it out, and the passageway to the hatch was clear.

As soon as Snake entered Deck-2, a voice came over the P.A. system of the tanker.

"Verrazano Bridge checkpoint passed. All non-essential personnel, report to the holds in ten minutes' time for the scheduled briefing session with the Commandant. You are ordered to continue manning your posts until that time."

After listening to the announcement, Snake began moving through the narrow passageways. Every so often, there would be a small room with a door leading out of the passageway to the right of the hall. The hallway was dark and wet – most of the lightbulbs above Snake flickered in and out constantly. Some didn't work at all. Several of the pipes on the left of the hall dripped with water. Snake continued running down the hall; it was deserted so far. But then, Snake saw the silhouette of a guard moving toward Snake in the dark. Snake darted into one of the rooms on the right, and hid behind a wall. The guard stopped at the entrance of the room Snake was hiding in, but he didn't come into it. After several seconds, the guard continued on his route. Snake did the same, traveling in the direction in which the guard came from. As Snake neared a turn in the long hallway, he heard footsteps and soft music. Snake hugged the right wall as a sentry came to the corner, headbanging to the music coming from his headphones. He was still facing the wall, paying more attention to his music than his guard duty, so Snake tiptoed around him and continued on his path. He came to a hatch at the end of the corridor, and entered it. Another hallway.

Snake continued on his run down the corridor until he heard the sound of a hatch opening echoing in the narrow halls. Snake aimed his USP down the corridor as he dropped to one knee beside a small, waist-high crate. The hatch opened to reveal three Gurlukovich soldiers. One was watching the other two's backs, while another opened the hatch and the third ran through the open door. The one covering their flank walked backwards into the small room adjacent to the long hallway as the one who opened the door came into the room and closed the hatch. One soldier walked out of the small room into the hallway and checked the right. Snake ducked behind the crate before the guard checked the left. When everything was secure, one soldier lifted his radio to his mouth and spoke in a Russian accent.

"Colonel, we have sealed the stern hatch."

"All right," came the reply over the radio from Sergei Gurlukovich.

"The lift is also under our control."

"We're on the foredeck, about to descend into the holds."

"Sir, the Marine commander has started his speech already."

"We will complete the preparations before the end of the speech."

"All the communications to the holds have been severed. No one is aware of our presence."

"Let no one down into the holds until we are out."

"Yes, sir! We will secure your exit, with our lives if necessary."

"There is one more thing…"

"Yes, sir?"

"My daughter…keep her safe."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier said as he put the radio back on its belt. All three soldiers moved into the long hall, and started towards the box Snake was hiding behind. Snake's nose began to itch. He was going to sneeze. He tried to stifle it, but it was no use. Snake sneezed, and immediately grabbed the attention of all three guards. "Who goes there!"

Snake didn't have enough ammunition for his M9 to take out his enemies, so he had no choice but to use lethal force. The soldiers began to open fire on Snake as he stood up with his USP drawn. One leaned out from behind the left wall. Snake fired off a round at him, and it hit him in his left shoulder. Another guard began to fire at Snake, so he ducked behind his crate. He didn't hear any shots being fired, so he stood up to engage his enemies. The one on the left fired at Snake again, but his wounded arm decreased his accuracy; not a single shot hit. Snake fired at him again, but he ducked behind the wall before the bullet could find its target. A soldier on the right leaned out from behind his wall, and Snake shot him in his right arm. He then ducked behind his wall. The one on the right strafed out from behind the wall and began to shoot at Snake, but Snake fired, and scored a headshot on him. The soldier went down in a shower of blood. Only one more left. The guard popped out from behind cover, and Snake shot him in his left arm again. He screamed out in pain, but continued the battle. This time, Snake fired off a three-round burst with his USP, scoring hits on each of the three shots: chest, neck, and head. With Snake's USP empty, he swapped magazines.

In the aftermath of the battle, Snake stood victorious amidst the gunsmoke as he holstered his USP. Snake walked toward the hatch, and opened it. A lone guard behind Snake watched him, but he stayed back, away from Snake. Snake drew his USP and readied it as he moved through the door, not bothering to close it behind him. Snake moved through another doorway on his right, and disappeared from the guard's view. The soldier closed the first hatch and sighed a breath of relief as he heard a man's footsteps and the sound of jingling spurs behind him. He spun around and raised his AK.

"Who goes there!" The man simply kept advancing until his face was no longer in the shadows. "Oh, Shalashaska." Shalashaska stopped an arm's distance away from the soldier as the guard lowered his AK. "Why are you here? We thought you with the colonel." The guard looked over his shoulder, then looked back and pointed at the door. Shalashaska drew his Colt Single Action Army in a heartbeat with his left hand and pointed it directly between the guard's eyes. "What the…!" Shalashaska fired, blood spewing out of the back of the soldier's head as he slumped down to the ground, lifeless. Shalashaska spun his revolver before throwing his trenchcoat back a little bit so he could holster it. Shalashaska spoke to the corpse.

"The colonel will be joining you soon…comrade." Shalashaska walked away from the body, moving down the hallway.


	4. Tanker Chapter, Sneaking II

Tanker Chapter, Sneaking III

Before entering the holds, Snake received a Codec call from Otacon.

"Snake, are you in yet? Have you made it to the holds?"

"It's taking longer than I expected. We've already passed the Verrazano Bridge."

"Alright. We'll use another recovery point."

"They may be planning to change course."

"What?"

"The exits to the deck are all sealed."

"What are they planning?"

"If they get Metal Gear, we're going right off the fringe."

Snake continued talking to Otacon as he entered the holds and found himself on a high balcony overlooking the large area. More than fifty fully armed uniformed Marines were down on the lower level, all standing at attention, watching the large image of Commander Scott Dolph projected onto a screen via a projector behind the Marines.

"The men down here are definitely Marines," Snake stated.

"If the deck is sealed off, they have no way of knowing that the ship's been taken over."

"I'm not interested in fighting these guys. My weapons won't do me much good here."

"Can you see Metal Gear?"

"No. I'll have to go around to the bow. They have some serious defenses here. I doubt the recent arrivals want to blast their way through either."

"I wonder where they're headed."

"I don't know… Not the beach, that's for sure."

"OK, Snake. Let's just go over this one last time. Use the camera to get photographic evidence of the Metal Gear prototype. Now, do your thing and take pictures that speak louder than the government's plausible denials. We need four shots: Metal Gear from the front, front-right, front-left, and a close-up of the Marine Corp marking.

"Marking?"

"There should be a 'Marines' insignia on the body of Metal Gear. Just let someone try explaining away a clear shot of that. As soon as you have the images, use the Codec to transmit them in an encrypted burst. If they make the grade, we'll go from there."

"Alright."

"There's just one little thing—"

"Just spit it out. I'm used to things going wrong."

"It looks like someone's been monitoring our transmission."

"Who?"

"I don't have a clue. All they're doing is watching – it would creep me out less if they tried to interfere with our communications."

"Could it have something to do with that Cypher we saw?"

"Maybe. I've switched the encryption protocol for our burst transmission for now. What I want to do now is to use a different method for sending those photos. Just in case."

"Instead of using the Codec?"

"Exactly. There's a workstation in the southeast corner of the block where Metal Gear is housed. I've made certain arrangements so that you can send the pictures from the machine."

"Arrangements?"

"I hitched a ride on Link-16 into the U.S. military's proprietary network. I managed to get into that workstation and overwrote a part of the system software so I could remote-install a little application I wrote --"

"Why bother with something so complicated?"

"No, it's pretty simple, really. Look, all you have to do is stand in front of the machine and hit the Enter key. The app will automatically launch and download the image data from the camera, split the files, and encrypt them individually. The data then masquerades as –"

"Okay, okay. So all I have to do is push the Enter key on the keyboard once I have the pictures, right?"

"Well sure, if you put it that way…And one more thing: The Commandant is about to begin his speech, but you need to get the pictures before he's done talking. Otherwise, they'll spot you. Okay?"

"How much time do I have?"

"I hacked into his personal files and had a look at the text of that speech. I'd say you have ten more minutes – longer if he throws in a joke or two."

"A ten-minute time limit, huh?"

"Remember, Snake, just the photos, okay?"

"With these kinds of odds, I won't be making any sudden moves. But that doesn't mean we can just let Metal Gear be hijacked."

"Okay, okay, but first, the photos."

"Alright. We'll deal with the rest when we get there."  
"Stay low."

Snake moved to the ladder in front of him and climbed down, and eventually came to the lowest level, where the Marines stood. When Snake came to the ground, he was already behind the Marines. He looked over to the left and saw a hatch on the ground. To get there, he'd have to get past the projector first, which was located against the back wall. Snake proceeded over to the projector, and got down onto his stomach. He crawled under the beams of light coming out of the projector, and moved on. Snake arrived at the hatch and opened it silently. There was a small ladder leading down to a crawlspace below the floor. The crawlspace led to the bow of the ship, directly where Snake needed to go. So, he got onto the ladder, moved down a few rungs, and looked at the screen where the Marine Commandant cleared his throat and began his speech. Snake closed the hatch behind him and started to crawl toward the forward hold. As Snake moved through the crawl space, the Commandant's words reverberated through the holds.

"At the moment, every industrialized nation on the globe knows the specifications for Metal Gear. Worse yet, so do a number of rogue states. They are all working on deploying their own Metal Gear force to compete with the United States' nuclear strike capability. The world is about to see a swarm of these Metal Gear derivatives. We initiated development on Metal Gear RAY as a countermeasure to these pirated weapons forces. The only thing that can stand up to a Metal Gear is of course - another Metal Gear. With RAY, the hundreds if not thousands of Metal Gears that exist all over the world are no longer a threat. The blind rush to nuclear proliferation, and it will be the Marine Corps, and our RAY, that will accomplish this. This weapon will render all other Metal Gears obsolete. Nations building up their own Metal Gear force

will think twice about their nuclear strategy in light of the nuclear dominance spelled out by RAY.

"The shift in the balance of power will mean a new world order. And we, the Marine Corps, will play a central role in its military affairs. Ours is not the only military project devoted to Metal Gear development, but it cannot be more different in nature than the Navy's. Theirs is a program that will add fuel to the uncontrolled fire of nuclear proliferation. It is a fact that players in favor of such a policy are attempting to derail our own RAY project. But I promise you they will not succeed. Some say that the strategic importance of aircraft carriers will be reduced by the completion of RAY. The opposition from the Navy is an undeniable fact. There is a lot of pressure from Navy brass, especially those with submarine and air background. Not to mention interference from a major player...

"This project is vital to the Marine Corps. The enemy is sometimes closer to home than you think, gentlemen. Always bear that in mind. I have a daughter. It is my greatest wish never to have her, or her children, experience the horror of nuclear war. As a father, I want to leave a better world for the future generation. As a soldier, I know that is my duty. Metal Gear RAY is amphibious, unlike the Army's REX. It can cruise deep underwater, move in undetected and make its landing on any shoreline. Its onboard Joint Tactical Information Distribution System identifies targets with unerring accuracy and takes them out with massive firepower. It is the ultimate weapon and it is yours to guard. I'd like you all to think about what that means.

"The National Missile Defense program was initiated in the end of the 20th century, projected to completion in 2005. However, the NMD trial conducted in the year 2000 was a complete failure and the success of the 1999 trials is now considered a chance happening. There was no technological solution in sight and the program was already attracting strong criticism from Russia and China for its potential violation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile agreement. The fact that any development in missile defense would trigger accelerated weapons development has been pointed out from the very beginning. President Sears forced the NMD proposal through and succeeded in deploying the program. Some say that it was a military interest - with plans for the hundred billion dollar program budget that actually arranged the legislative approval.

"Former President Sears did also act towards reducing the nuclear stockpile while nurturing the NMD concept. It was he who lowered START3's ceiling for tactical nuclear weapons in order to bring Russia around to approving a revision to the ABM treaty. Everyone believed the world was headed for the end of the arms race when Shadow Moses happened. Even though the development of Metal Gear REX is still outside the bounds of official truth, everyone in the international military community knows the facts. Its specs spread across the globe like wildfire, and the nuclear race was on again. The only thing that can reverse its course is this Metal Gear RAY.

Snake made it to hold number 3, where Metal Gear was being held. Snake found a ladder going up, away from the shafts, and climbed it. Snake found himself on yet another balcony overlooking more Marines, Commandant Scott Dolph, and Metal Gear RAY. Scott Dolph was a fairly tall black man dressed in combat boots, and camouflage BDUs with its sleeves rolled up past his elbows.. RAY was behind Dolph's raised speaking position, and it was hunched over, barely fitting in the humungous room. Many large cables and wires emanating from the ceiling seemingly held up RAY. RAY appeared to be very streamlined – no rough or jagged edges anywhere. Its overall shape was quite dinosaur in appearance. Snake came out of the trance he was in from seeing the new Metal Gear and noticed the large Marines logo on the side of RAY's leg – just as Otacon had said. Snake took out his digital camera and zoomed in on the logo. Snake took the photo, then put the camera away and returned to the matter at hand: getting down from the balcony he was on. There wasn't a ladder in sight, but there was a firepole-esque bar to Snake's right. He jumped and caught the bar, sliding down to the ground floor. Snake looked at how he was going to get around in front of RAY. Dolph was pacing back and forth on his platform as he spoke. Snake timed moving from behind one crate to another in accordance to Dolph's direction of movement. As Snake snagged each of the three other photos Philanthropy needed to show the world the U.S. military's secret project, he noticed two television cameras filming Dolph's speech and transmitting it live to the other holds' projectors. Snake moved over to the computer Otacon spoke about and hit the Enter key. A screen appeared, noting the progress of the download, encryption, and sending of the files. The percentage was increasing slowly. Snake listened in on the Commandant's speech to pass the time.

"The Metal Gear REX development on Shadow Moses was supposedly the first preparatory measure taken against the future possibility of reduced nuclear defense capability. An NMD technology leak to other nations would make that contingency likely. But if this theory is correct, it means that there was a calculated intent to cash in on this opportunity by specific interests within the military-industrial complex. We are here today to flush out and rid our country of corrupt sources. That is our mission and you will bear that in mind. George Sears surrendered his presidency in the aftermath of Shadow Moses. The official reason given did not, of course, include the development of Metal Gear REX and next-generation nuclear warheads. But even you will have heard rumors that he was forced to resign after a failed cover up cost him

his influence in the political community. This Metal Gear RAY is a prototype designed to be operated by an onboard pilot. In its final form, RAY will be unmanned, driven by tele-existence and an autonomous control system. The importance of next-generation technology such as C4ISR and RMA in battle situation has been discussed time and again, but RAY is the first to deploy it so fully. With RAY's completion, the Marine Corps will lead the way for a new age of military tactics.

"We will proceed out of New York Harbor and conduct top-secret field-testing of RAY. Shadow Moses has turned the public opinion against weapons development and this training needs to stay convert. We cannot risk jeopardizing the program on the eve of its completion. The disguised oil tanker is a part of our cover. RAY is well worth all these precautions. Trust me. It is an undeniable fact that there is a force at work in our government and within the military, seeking to control national affairs to suit its own interests. Metal Gear RAY bears the burden of confronting this party, thwarting their plans and guiding this nation back to its original path. This exercise is but a first step towards that goal - the future of the country rests with you tonight.

"The brain drain of nuclear specialists and the black market trade in weapons-grade plutonium has been fueling a cottage industry in nuclear weapons since late last century. Add Metal Gear to the mix and the result is the new proliferation you see the world over. We once lived in the shadow of the doomsday machine. This Metal Gear RAY can bring other Metal Gears under control and ensure that we never know that fear again. And we, the Marines, will be the guardians of this peace. This new model of Metal Gear is codenamed RAY, after the great Manta Ray. Our RAY has a sting that nature never gave the Manta. With this latest Metal Gear, we can rule the sea and land as we never have before.

Snake watched the progress on the files reach one hundred percent. When it did, Snake's Codec ringed. It was Otacon.

"Snake, the speech is about to wind up. The photos are done. Now, get out of there!"

Snake decided to listen to the rest of the speech before leaving.

"The proliferation and development of Metal Gear technology are about to render agreements like the NPT and START obsolete. There are also forces at work trying to exploit this disturbing trend their own power and influence. The human race is about to slide back into the endless arms race of that last century and we cannot afford to play that Russian Roulette again. The Metal Gear RAY you see is here to prevent that possibility.

"We, the Marines, will lead the charge into a new world order with Metal Gear

RAY. That is all. Dismissed."

Upon the command, the Marines came to attention and saluted the higher ranked officer. Dolph returned the salute and held it. The distinct sound of clapping radiated from behind RAY. Uneasy, Dolph shifted his eyes to the left and to the right, trying to find where the sound was coming from; the Marines on the floor did the same. The sound of footsteps mixed with clinking metal of spurs joined the soft applause, and a gruff voice called out.

"Excellent speech, my friend."

"Who the--?" Dolph turned around to see the applauding man step out from behind RAY's right leg and into shadows.

"Gift of the silver tongue," the stranger stated, "They say it's the mark of a good officier….And of a liar." The man started approaching Dolph, but was still rather far away from him. "Americans are too in love with the sound of their own voice to speak the truth!" The man pointed with his left hand as he said this.

"Identify yourself!" The Marine Commandant exclaimed as the twelve Marines in the room joined him on the platform, with their firearms aimed at the intruder.

"I am Shalashaska!" He stepped into the light, and his face could be seen. "Also called Revolver…"

"Ocelot!" Snake and Shalashaska said in unison. Snake thought back to Shadow Moses and his duel with the aged marksman. The old man was dressed in camouflage lighter than those of Dolph's. Ocelot also wore bandoliers on the shoulder and waist, holding two Colts and their ammunition. He wore his long white hair in a ponytail, which draped over his right shoulder and came down below his shoulder bandolier. And to cover it all up, he wore a long brown trenchcoat. The Marines began to advance on Ocelot, but Dolph raised his right arm to stop them.

"What do you want?" Asked the Marine commander.

"This machine will be quite useful," Ocelot said as he took a few more steps toward the Marines.

"What are you planning to do – Steal this thing?"

"Steal? No, no, I'm taking it back."

Snake moved around the crate he was standing behind to get a better view of the proceedings. When he got to a position where he could see, he saw Gurlukovich sneak up behind Dolph with a pistol in his hand. Since the Marines were in front of their commander, they never saw him coming. The old Russian reached out with his left hand and took Dolph by the neck, and put his pistol to the side of his head. The Marines heard the gasp from Dolph when he was grabbed, and turned around, now aiming their weapons at the new man. Gurlukovich took a few steps to the left into a corner with Dolph to get a better angle on the Marines.

"Nobody move! Understood?" Ocelot demanded, and raised his left arm. The two cameras at the back of the hold were still transmitting the image back to the other holds. The Marines in them exchanged bewildered looks and began speaking to each other. Ocelot moved around to where Gurlukovich and Scott Dolph were standing, and walked in front of them.

Ocelot produced a small switch with his left hand and brought it clear above his head, and spoke.

"This ship now carries enough Semtex on its key structural points to blow it out of the water – at the touch of this button." The Marines, who were still aiming at Ocelot, backed away a few steps before Ocelot continued, "That's right. No one has to die needlessly." As soon as Ocelot completed his statement, a number of Gurlukovich soldiers roped down from the rafters far above. As soon as they landed – some on upper catwalks, some on the ground floor – they immediately drew their AKs and aimed them at the Marines in the room. "We're almost at the target. Get a move on!" Ocelot barked. With the command, four Gurlukovich soldiers ran to Metal Gear RAY and began to attach small explosives to the cables affixed to RAY.

"What do you intend to do with RAY – Sell it on the streets?" Dolph asked Gurlukovich.

"I was raised in Snezhinsk, formerly known as Chelyabinsk-70, the nuclear research outpost."

"What are you talking about?"

"After the Cold War ended, my home was bought out by the Americans."

"Is there a point to this sad story?" Dolph rebutted.

"Not that you would understand," Gurlukovich pushed the barrel of his pistol against Dolph's head, "Land, friends, dignity – All sold out to the highest bidder: The United States of America. Even the technology that gave birth to these weapons is Russian," Gurlukovich motioned to RAY. "Developed by us!"

"What do you intend to do?"

"Russia will rise again – and RAY is the key!"

"I regret to inform you that I have no intention of selling Metal Gear," Ocelot interrupted, "As I said, I came to take it back." Ocelot began to walk away from Gurlukovich. He passed a Gurlukovich soldier. He looked up at Ocelot as he walked away from him. "Yes – Returned. To the 'Patirots'!"

"The 'La-li-lu-le-lo'!" Dolph exclaimed. "How's that possible?" Dolph took a step forward before Gurlukovich stopped him.

"Ocelot, you..! Have you sold us out?"

"I was never in your employ, Gurlukovich…" Ocelot stood with his back to Gurlukovich.

"Are you still in league with Solidus?"

"No hard feelings, Colonel. Mother Russia can rot, for all I care."

"Since when, Ocelot! When did you turn?"

"I'm glad you noticed, comrade. I abandoned 'her' during the Cold War." Ocelot turned to face RAY.

"Aargh!"

"Metal Gear only has room for one!" Ocelot turned his back to Gurlukovich again. "Gurlukovich, you and your daughter will die here."

"Damn you!" Gurlukovich shouted as he pushed Dolph forward, toward Ocelot. Dolph barely managed to keep his balance as he stumbled forward. Ocelot grabbed his trenchcoat and threw it toward Gurlukovich. It hung in the air for several moments, blocking their view of each other. "Die, you dog!" Gurlukovich said as he brought his pistol up and aimed. Ocelot was quicker on the draw, however, and grabbed one of his Single Action Army revolvers in an instant, bringing the weapon up and firing three shots consecutively through Dolph, the trenchcoat, and finally Gurlukovich. Dolph fell to the ground first, and Gurlukovich dropped to his knees.

"Sergei!" Ocelot said, as he dropped the gun to the floor, "Looks like you were long overdue for retirement."

"Traitorous dog…" was all Gurlukovich was able to mutter as he fell backwards. Still somewhat dazed by their leader's defeat, the Gurlukovich soldiers aimed their AKs at Ocelot. Before they could fire, however, Ocelot grabbed his other revolver and brought it to his hip. The old man began to spin, shooting the four Gurlukovich soldiers that were close to him. Ocelot spun the handgun, let go of it in midair, caught the grip again, and holstered it.

Ocelot faced the twelve Marines and the two Gurlukovich soldiers who were above and behind the Marines, covering them. Ocelot then produced the Semtex trigger in his left hand and made sure the fourteen people could see it clearly.

"Show's over! If you wish to live, I suggest you run now! This ship is still in the Lower New York Harbor. You may yet make it to shore if you swim for your life!" Ocelot finished his speech and pushed the switch. Explosions rang out all over the ship, including the hold Ocelot and Snake were in. The Marines in the other two holds fell over and tried to stumble to safety and the ship lurched to the left and to the right. Explosions in the holds sent Marines flying. Another knocked over a camera, cracking the lens. Water began to pour into all three of the holds. Ocelot managed to get onto the raised catwalk that led to the cockpit of RAY, and he was walking toward it. The Marines, in waist-deep water opened fire on Ocelot. None of their shots connected. Snake came out of hiding and rushed through the water to emerge on the raised platform directly in front of RAY. He came to a kneel and drew his USP, aiming it at Ocelot on the catwalk.

"Ocelot!" Snake cried out. Ocelot stood within arm's length away from the cockpit of RAY. His right arm began to twitch. Ocelot looked down at the arm and raised it. The twitching developed into spasms, and he grabbed it with his left hand. He struggled to keep it under control, bending over at the waist.

"Aarrrgh!" Ocelot's voice seemed to be changing. The arm flexed its muscles and ripped the sleeve of the BDUs right off. Veins on the arm started to rise, and Ocelot seemed to bring it under control. His ponytail fell out, and his hair fell free to move about. Ocelot still held the bulging arm in front of him.

"It's been awhile, brother!" Ocelot's voice changed. It was no longer the raspy old voice, but rather a familiar young British-accented voice. His arm reached out to Snake.

"Who are you?" Snake queried. The arm clenched its fist, and brought it to Ocelot's face.

"You know who I am."

"Liquid?" Snake recognized the voice as his genetic twin 'brother' from Shadow Moses, two years prior.

"Not so young anymore, eh, Snake?" Liquid asked, now in seemingly in control of Ocelot's body. Liquid reached his right arm out again, closed his fist, and brought it down to his side to rest it on his waist. "You're drowning in time. I know what it's like, brother." Liquid asserted. "No wonder Naomi passed you over for the FOXDIE program." Liquid's arm bolted out, and the fingers moved quickly.

"Aarrrr!" Ocelot's voice returned for a moment, "Out! Get out of my mind, Liquid!" Ocelot bit down on the arm, and Liquid dominated Ocelot's body and mind again.

"The price of physical prodigy…A few more years, and you'll be another clone of the old man," Liquid said to Solid Snake. "Our raw materials are vintage, brother. Big Boss was in his late fifties when they created his copies," Liquid said, referring to Big Boss, the proclaimed 'Greatest soldier to have ever lived', and both Solid Snake and Liquid Snake's 'father'. Liquid raised his right arm clear above his head. "But I – I live on through this arm!" Liquid brought the arm down again.

"Liquid's arm?" Snake said to himself. An explosion rocked the platform Snake was standing on. Snake was thrown over the edge of the platform and into the water.

Gurlukovich was floating face-up in the water, still alive. "Olga…" were his last words.

Ocelot opened the hatch to RAY and leaped inside its cockpit. Various instruments lit up, and the main screen turned on, allowing Liquid to see the hold. Liquid pressed sever buttons, and RAY activated as the hatch closed. Snake climbed out of the water and back onto the platform, and took several deep breaths. He stood up and gazed in awe of the now-active Metal Gear RAY.

"You don't have what it takes after all," Liquid said over RAY's loudspeaker. RAY raised its back, and quickly met the roof of the hold. The roof bent upwards, debris falling to the floor. "You're going down, Snake -- With this tanker!" Liquid raised RAY's left leg and thrust it toward Snake. Snake managed to dodge it, but the shockwave of the blow threw Snake against a wall and knocked him out. RAY stood up, with its arms cramped inside the closed-off space. Two Marines stood one one of the higher catwalks, firing their M4 rifles at RAY. The bullets had no effect on the towering mech. More Marines joined them, one with an M203 grenade launcher attached to his M4. He loaded it and fired. Still no effect. Another Marine with an M203 joined the first, and continually fired on RAY. This got Liquid's attention, however, and the large head of RAY slowly turned to look at the Marines. RAY lifted its right leg and crushed one of the Marines. Another fell over the side of the catwalk from the force of the attack. The other two ran in opposite directions away from RAY. Liquid set RAY's leg down on the ground again, which created a large splash of water.

Snake came to and stood up. He raised Otacon over his Codec.

"Otacon, we have a problem…"

RAY submerged its head in the deep water and sucked in water through its open vents. RAY raised its head above the water again, and opened its gigantic maw. The water it had sucked in was concentrated and pressurized to an astronomical level. The result was not unlike what a laser is to light. The water shot out of an opening in RAY's mouth and began to cut through the steel walls of the ship, letting water flow in. A flood of water hit Snake, and he was carried out of the hold into the sea.

RAY swam out of the hold, and shot out of the ocean vertically. RAY climbed to almost a hundred feet and hung there for several moments before it came crashing down. The tanker had split in two, and RAY landed with each of its feet on the two parts of the ship. Snake surfaced in the water and stared up at the Metal Gear. RAY seemed to do the same. Ocelot inside the cockpit zoomed in on Snake floating in the water, not moving

"No problems…proceeding as planned, sir," Ocelot said, back in his normal voice. RAY's legs bent at the knees, then sprang back, causing RAY to leap from the top of the ship into the water with the utmost grace. RAY's dive caused a huge swell of water that Snake was pushed under by.

"Yes, at the location we discussed," Ocelot spoke to someone over a transmission as RAY continued to swim well under the surface of the water. Ocelot paused as someone on the other end of the line spoke before he continued. "Yes, I have photographic evidence of Snake on the scene. The Cypher was most useful. I look forward to tomorrow morning's newsflash. I would say the Marine Corps' plans are on indefinite hold." Ocelot paused again as the other person spoke, then replied. "Yes, of course, Mr. President."


	5. Plant Chapter, Initial Infiltration

Plant Chapter, Initial Infiltration

April 29th, 2009

"Snake, do you remember the sinking of that tanker two years ago?" Questioned Colonel Roy Campbell, commanding officer of the special operations group, FOXHOUND, and in turn, former commanding officer of Solid Snake.

"Of course," The voice that replied to the Colonel was raspy, but not naturally. The voice sounded like it had gone through filters to achieve the tone and texture that it had.

"Terrorists blow a hole in an oil tanker full of crude, barely twenty miles off the shore of Manhattan – Your classic nightmare." As Colonel Campbell spoke, two Navy Black Hawk helicopters sped along the New York Harbor at an altitude no greater than forty feet, in the early morning hours. The sun hadn't risen yet, but darkness didn't reign. "It didn't take long for the government to put an oil fence around the whole mess. And then, that massive offshore cleanup facility went up inside. The 'Big Shell'." The helicopters passed under the Verrazano Bridge, heading out into the ocean.

"I hear the cleanup isn't quite over yet," Snake said.

"It takes time," Campbell retorted. "But in the meantime, the Shell's become a landmark; a symbol of environmental protection."

"Calling teams Alpha and Bravo," a voice from a radio, not engaging in Campbell and Snake's conversation said. "Deploy at the Big Shell and scheduled."

"Approximately six hours ago, the Big Shell was seized by an armed group," Colonel Campbell informed Snake.

"Do we have an ID?" Snake inquired.

"Former members of the Navy SEAL's special anti-terrorist training squad, 'Dead Cell'. Russian private army members may also be involved. It's a highly trained group and they have the Big Shell under complete control."

The two Black Hawks closed in on the silhouette of a gargantuan structure on the horizon. A man with hi-tech scuba gear (only a pair of flippers and a mask, which covered his entire head, with a rebreather incorporated into it) surfaced in the water and looked up to see the pair of helicopters fly over him. He gazed upon the great structure ahead of him, the Big Shell. Satisfied, he submerged into the water again and continued to progress towards it.

"Come in from downwind, then pull up fast!" The radioman said. "Get ready to fast rope down to Shell One! Five minutes to ETA!" One of the helicopters banked slightly to stop their movement, then hovered over part of the Big Shell. "Alpha, your top priority is to rescue and safeguard the President! Team Bravo, watch Stillman's back and get those C4's disarmed." A rope descended from the door of the aircraft, and Navy SEALs slid down it, onto the Big Shell. The helicopter adjusted its heading, and flew away from the Big Shell. The second helicopter did the same, on the other side of the structure.

The scuba diver, codename Snake, swam toward the oil fence surrounding the Big Shell, as he talked to Colonel Campbell via Codec.

"What are their demands?"

"Thirty billion dollars," Campbell responded.

"Thirty billion dollars? What makes them think they can get that much?" Snake asked, as he drew nearer to the oil fence. He noticed numerous small dead fish in the water.

"There was a government-sponsored tour going on at the Big Shell today."

"Hostages, huh?" Snake said.

"A VIP from one of the major conservation groups, and one from our own government – the Most Important Person, in a sense."

"The most important person?" Snake finally reached the oil fence to find that there was a man-sized hole cut in the metal.

"James Johnson." Snake swam through the hole.

"The President!"

"Unless the demands are met, the terrorists intend to blow the Big Shell out of the water. The crude oil will ignite, turning the Manhattan Harbor into an inferno. But that's not the worst-case scenario. If the chlorides being used to decontaminate the seawater go up in flames with the oil, toxins containing catastrophic levels of dioxins will be released. In other words, the bay's ecosystem will be wiped out, and the sea will turn into a toxic soup for centuries – Becoming the worst environmental disaster in history."

Snake proceeded towards an undersea dock, and entered it. Snake swam up along the wall of the dock and surfaced to find himself in an area filled with various underwater equipment – a small submersible, and two bulky underwater suits.

"You have two mission objectives," Campbell said to Snake, "One: Infiltrate the offshore decontamination facility 'Big Shell' and safeguard the President and the other hostages. Two: Disarm the terrorists by any means necessary. You should know that SEAL Team 10 is also conducting a rescue operation." Snake took his flippers off and tossed them beside him in the water; they sank. He then found a small ladder rising out of the pool he was in, and climbed it.

"Is this a joint effort?" Snake asked the Colonel.

"No. FOXHOUND remains a covert body." Snake looked about the room – it was deserted. He crouched next to a small shelf and listened to Campbell more intensely. "Don't alert them to your presence – That is an order."

"This is Snake. I am now inside Strut A of Shell One."

"How are things?" Campbell asked.

"We're in luck. Looks like there are no sentries posted here."

"What's the visibility?"

"The lights on the plant's struts are functioning. I won't have to use the IR goggles," Snake said, referring to the mask he was wearing.

"Any problems?"

"There was a brand-new hole cut through the oil fence. There's someone else besides me that wanted to get in badly."

"That's not possible," Campbell said, with a note of disbelief in his voice.

"What about SEAL Team 10?"

"They landed on the roof of the Big Shell as planned. And by the way, Snake, we're changing your codename for all following communication."

"What's wrong with 'Snake'?"

"Just a precaution. You are now designated 'Raiden'. All right, Raiden. You've already covered infiltration in VR Training."

"I've completed more than three hundred missions in VR. I feel like some kind of legendary mercenary."

"Okay, we'll skip the review, then. This will be your first sneaking mission. Weapons will naturally have to be procured on-site. Make sure nobody sees you. If you need to, you can contact me by Codec. My frequency is 140.85. When we need to reach you…" Campbell corrected himself, "Contact you, the Codec will beep. The Codec's receiver directly stimulates the small bones of your ear. No one but you will be able to hear it."

"All right. I'll contact you if anything changes," Raiden confirmed.

"Make your way to the upper section of the Big Shell."

"How do I get up to the next level?"

"There should be an elevator at the far end of that area. Use that."

"Sounds good."

"Your new sneaking suit uses electrofiber technology, a by-product of fiber-optics research. The texture isn't far removed from rubber, but the material protects against a wide range of toxic substances. The suit itself has a wide array of built-in sensors. It is referred to as 'Smart Skin' in military R&D. Data about damage to the body, including blood loss, is exchanged between the suit and the intravenous nanomachines to create a feedback system."

"There's a lot of pressure on my torso."

"Relax. The suit applies varying pressure to internal organs to maximize performance and safeguard their functions. They call this the 'Skull Suit' in FOXHOUND."

"Skull Suit – seems appropriate somehow."

"Find that elevator."

"Copy that. Moving on to main mission objectives."

Raiden stood up and moved up a small, four step staircase, avoiding a large gathering of sea lice, small incects. The sea dock was completely infested with them. Raiden made his way towards the only exit out of the dock aside from the water. It was a hatch, with a circular handle. Raiden grabbed it and turned it clockwise, and heard someone grunt a few times in pain on the other side. Raiden hurriedly turned the handle faster, and it finally unlocked. Raiden swung the door open to see a man clad in urban tiger-stripe BDUs crumpled against the corner of the hallway, where it turned. The man got up and grabbed his rifle, shook his head a bit, and walked back into the room in which he came from. Raiden darted back into the sea dock and raised the Colonel on the Codec.

"Colonel, I've sighted an enemy sentry. AN-94 and a Makarov…Those grenades…All his equipment is Russain-made."

"Must be a Gurlukovich man," Campbell said.

"Gurlukovich?"

"A Russian private army that was in line to work with the Shadow Moses takeover group, four years ago."

"What's their stake in this one?"

"They must have a deal – an arrangement with the terrorists. They've become a band of mercenaries; an army without a country." The Colonel cut the Codec connection, and Raiden continued on. He slowly moved down the hallway, careful not to make any noise. A door confronted Raiden as he rounded the corner. As he approached it, it opened automatically. Raiden stepped out and stopped behind a stack of crates. He looked out and saw a figure aboard the freight elevator for a moment as it quickly rose out of view. All Raiden saw was the man's back: long brown hair, and a bandanna. Two guards were sprawled out on the floor, knocked unconscious. Raiden crouched, and called the Colonel.

"Colonel, there's definitely another intruder in here besides me."

"That's not a possibility," Campbell said.

"Not a team – Looks like a solo job."

"One man..?"

"We man not know who he is, but he managed to take care of every sentry in the area; they're all out cold. Whoever he is, he's got some skills."

"We need to get an ID. But for now, you can take advantage of he situation and get to work."

"Wait, how do I save my mission data?"

"I've set up a proprietary frequency for data input. And an analyst to work on the data, too."

"Jack, is everything alright?" A concerned woman's voice replaced Campbell's. Raiden recognized the voice.

"What are you doing here?" Raiden exclaimed.

"Jack, can you hear me?" The woman said.

"Rose! You're not supposed to be involved! What's going on?"

"Jack, I'm a part of this mission."

"Colonel, what the hell is going on?"

"Raiden, meet the mission analyst. She'll be overseeing the data saving and support," Campbell said.

"Why her?" Raiden asked.

"The FOXHOUND analyst that was supposed to take part in this mission was in an accident. Rosemary was brought in as a replacement."

"An accident?"

"And according to the files, she knows you better than anyone else."

"Rose may be in the service, but an intelligence analyst is no field officer."

"Not to worry. She has our technical staff at her disposal."

"She's never been a part of a field mission. This is insane."

"I have my own reasons for selecting her for this mission, soldier."

"Colonel, I fail to see –"

"I know your VR training performance in and out. But sometimes that's not enough. You're familiar with the Shadow Moses incident?"

"You know I covered it in VR."

"If there's a crucial tactical detail that case taught us, it was the power of the operative's will to survive."

"I was trained to fight. My personal feelings have no place in a mission."

"We've learned that it doesn't work that way. And in the field, you need all the help you can get."

"Jack? You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not," Rose stated.

"Rose…" Raiden pleaded.

"You need someone to watch your back. But— I have conditions that need to be met, Colonel."

"What is it?" Campbell asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'll perform my duties and save that mission data. But I'm aware that technically, I'm not part of the mission control team. After all, I'm just a normal girl who's worried about Jack. But that means, Colonel, that I am not required to follow your orders outside of my immediate duties. Jack is not simply a field personnel for me to track. His safety comes first to me, not the mission. And because of that, I will be monitoring, and keeping a record of every communication you have with him, Colonel."

"Given the circumstances, you're free to do what you see fit."

"Hey, I prefer this to being kept in the dark, waiting," Rose said to Raiden.

"I'd like to make one request, if I may," Campbell said.

"Of course."

"His handle is Raiden. For the duration of the mission, could you call him that?"

"Yes, sir," Rose said to the Colonel. Rose turned her attention to Raiden. "All right, Raiden. Let me know when you're ready to turn in a save. The proprietary save frequency is 140.96." Raiden and Rose switched to that frequency, so the Colonel would be left out.

"I just switched frequencies. Jack?"

"What?"

"Do you know what day it is tomorrow?" Rose softly, caringly asked.

"April 30th – Is there something special about it?"

"Isn't there?"

"I can't remember. I'm sorry."

"Oh well. I'll keep trying until I hear the answer. I'm going to let you go now, Jack. Take care." Rose cut the connection. Raiden moved closer to the elevator, keeping watch on the two unconscious guards on the floor. He pressed the button to call the elevator, and shortly thereafter, the elevator came back down. Raiden stepped onto the freight elevator, and it began to rise. The open elevator platform continually rose, until it finally breached the long tunnel it was in, and rose above the surface of the ocean. The open elevator platform revealed the sun rising over the ocean to the East, casting the ocean and the Big Shell in beautiful hues of gold. Raiden turned, and began to undo straps on his mask to take it off. Raiden pulled the diving mask off to reveal a clean-shaven effeminate face, with long beach blond hair. Raiden cast the helmet into the ocean through the open girders and support cables. Campbell made contact with Raiden as the elevator kept rising.

"The terrorists call themselves 'Sons of Liberty'."

"Sons of Liberty?"

"The name of their leader is Solid Snake."

"The hero of Shadow Moses? So that's why you changed my codename." The elevator reached the roof of Strut A, scaring off seagulls behind Raiden.

"Right. But he can't be THE Solid Snake. He died, two years ago, on that tanker…after he blew it sky-high."

"Could he have survived?" Raiden asked, as he looked about the roof. No guards. He ducked down behind one of the stacks of metal crates on the roof.

"Not a chance," the Colonel dispelled any doubt.


	6. Plant Chapter, Enter Vamp

Plant Chapter, Sneaking I

"Colonel, I'm on the roof. There are no sentries, but it would only take one to spot me in this light," Raiden spoke to Colonel Campbell over the Codec.

"You never had daylight VR training, after all," Campbell stated.

"What about the commandos?" Raiden asked.

"SEAL Team 10 has landed on Struts B and C."

"And the President?"

"Seems he was spotted on Strut B."

"Strut B?"

"The Big Shell is comprised of Shells One and Two. Each unit consists of a central core and six struts surrounding it," the colonel explained.

"So the whole thing is shaped like two hexagons connected end-on-end."

"Exactly. And you're on the roof of Strut A, Shell One at the moment. Get going, Raiden," Campbell closed the connection.

Raiden stood, and moved toward a cage surrounding the door leading down into the strut. Seagulls were gathered around the cage, and when Raiden approached them, they took flight. The cage gate was locked, but the bottom of the cage was cut, leaving a man-sized hole. Raiden lay down on his stomach and squeezed through the hole. Once on the other side, he stood up and moved to the door; it opened automatically. Just as Raiden moved inside, he received a Codec call from the colonel.

"Raiden, SEAL Team 10 is in."

"Do we really have no line of communication with the SEALs?"

"They don't know a thing about us. You know we work in the dark, and this mission is no exception. Only a few people know about your presence here," When Campbell said this, Raiden let out a small whimper. "There's no need for concern. This operation is under Pentagon's direct command, and the National Security Decision Directives came from the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense. Your mission may be top-secret, but it's gone through the usual channels," Seemingly satisfied with his talk, the colonel cut the connection.

Raiden moved down the stairs that were in front of him, and pressed against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. He poked his head around the corner, and saw two sentries speaking to each other; one was inside a large cubicle-esque worksation out of sight, and the other in the hallway, in Raiden's direct view. They both wore identical uniforms: grey tiger-stripe urban camouflage, a black balaclava, and combat boots, not to mention the plethora of weaponry each carried. The soldier in the hallway spoke.

"I'll go check the roof. I'll leave the first floor to you, okay?"

"Understood," Said the other. The man in the hallway turned his back to Raiden and began to walk towards a staircase on the opposite side of the large symmetrical room. He reached the stairs, and walked up them quickly. Raiden jogged out into the hall and observed the guard inside the workstation. He made rounds; he first looked out the entry to the left, then walked to the right, then turned right to look at another entrance. He turned left again to return to his original heading, looked out the right entrance, then made his way to the left cubical entrance again. Raiden timed his dash across the doorway correctly, and started on his way to Strut B. Raiden approached a door at the end of the hallway, and it opened on its own.

Raiden received another Codec conversation from the colonel.

"Raiden, I just intercepted new intelligence on the operation being executed by SEAL Team 10."

"Intercepted?"

"As I said before, they need to be kept in the dark about our presence."

"So we just listen in."

"I'm patching it through." Campbell's voice was replaced with radio crackle, then a SEAL's voice.

"This is Alpha Zero. We have the President."

"Is he safe?" Questioned the SEAL's mission commander.

"He is."

"What about the package?"

"Tell the guys upstairs that we've secured the package. Easy money."

"Good work. Your retrieval is on the way. Come on home."

"Roger that," The SEAL said, just before the crack of gunfire rang out. "H-holy!" More gunfire, then nothing.

"Alpha Zero! Report!" Demanded the commander.

"Dammit! Cover the President!" Alpha Zero said, not paying attention to his commander.

"Come in, Alpha Zero!"

"This is Alpha Zero. We are under attack," The SEAL finally responded. "This is crazy! Is that…!"

"Alpha Zero, respond!" Silence. "All Alpha, respond!"

"Raiden, the President's life is in danger! Head to Strut B now!" The radio transmission was cut off, and was replaced with Colonel Campbell once again. The colonel went as fast as he came, and the connection was severed.

Raiden moved through the door and came to a short hallway emptying out into the AB Connecting Bridge. The connecting bridges were relatively short catwalks that connected the struts with each other. Each connecting bridge was a unique design to help increase efficiency depending on what the bridge was used most for between the two struts.

The AB Connecting Bridge opened up with a short walkway, then split off at two ninety degree angles for a short while, before each path making another right angle, resuming its original direction. It continued like this before making another set of right angles and joining back together to form a short course to connect to Strut B.

Raiden looked over the bridge and saw a guard on each of the branched routes. They patrolled the length of the routes again and again, simply turning around when the reached the end of the path. Raiden stepped out onto the connecting bridge and took the left path. When the guard turned his back on Raiden, he dashed out onto the walkway and flipped over the side of the railing, catching the rail with his hands and turning his body around to face the catwalk. Raiden caught himself with his hands on the floor of the catwalk and shimmied his way over towards Strut B. Suspended one hundred and thirty feet over the ocean by only his hands, Raiden went unnoticed by the guard as he walked by. Raiden brought his legs to his chest, then flung them back to use the momentum to flip himself over the railing and back on top of the catwalk. Raiden exited the connecting bridge and entered Strut B.

Upon entering Strut B, Raiden immediately smelled that unmistakable smell: blood. Raiden walked down the hallway, and found fresh blood smeared graciously on the walls and floor. The bright red contrasted highly with the bright greys of the hall. Raiden turned the corner to find three corpses of SEALs strewn about the floor, along with even more blood on the surrounding surfaces. Raiden stepped around the bodies and made his way to the door on his right. Inside, three SEALs slowly stepped about together, their M4s at the ready. A knife was suddenly thrown with incredible force from above and in front of the SEALs. The blade entered the SEAL who was on point's skull, and he dropped with a groan. The other two SEALs panicked, and began firing their rifles wildly, praying to hit their unseen adversary. One SEAL cursed as a brown blur seemingly flew from one point to another with incredible speed. The blur hopped down to one of the SEALs and cut both of his Achilles' tendons. The SEAL dropped to the floor, emptying his weapon's magazine as he fell.

"Alpha Zero, come in, Alpha Zero!" one of the fallen SEAL's radios sounded. The last remaining SEAL backed himself into a corner and continued spraying his weapon. Raiden, outside the room, listened to the mayhem going on inside. The SEAL emptied his magazine, and quickly replaced it with a full one while a man was crouched in the dark rafters above. He leaped down to the floor and stayed in a crouch. The SEAL was consumed in terror as he tried to fire his M4 at the man. Nothing happened. "Oh no, no!" The crouched assailant lifted his head to look at his prey. He breathed out, and breath was visible, even though the room was rather warm. He stood up, and the SEAL finally got a good look at him: He was a tall white man with shoulder-length slicked back black hair, and a goatee. He wore nothing on his torso under his open brown trenchcoat, and his dark, coarse chest hair was visible, in addition to four large horizontal scars. On his belt were a total of nine knife sheaths, eight of which were separated into two four-knife arrangements, and were hanging over each leg. Between these was a longer sheath, with a large knife in it. Leather pants covered his legs, and boots protected his feet. The SEAL pulled the trigger on his M4 over and over with no results, until he realized that he didn't chamber a round. He hurriedly pulled the bolt back, and fired. The man in the trenchcoat spun around, moving towards the SEAL, all the while dancing around every bullet. He took the large knife out of its scabbard, and stunned the soldier with a few quick slices to his arms, and made his way behind him. He held the SEAL's head back with his left hand, and slit his throat with the right. The SEAL fell to his knees with his head back, blood shooting into the air from his jugular veins. As the SEAL collapsed to the ground, the man walked past him. Another SEAL's radio came to life. "All Alpha, come in! What's going on? Alpha, respond!"

Raiden stood outside the door, hesitant to enter the room now that the gunfire had ceased. However, he walked to the door, and it opened. Raiden entered the blood-soaked room, and came to a railing that overlooked the lower area that the fighting had taken place just before. Raiden saw the silent killer holding a SEAL's body up against a wall, with his mouth over his neck, occasionally making slurping noises. After a moment, he noticed Raiden out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at him, and exhaled quickly, his breath visible again. He let go of the SEAL's body, and it crumpled to the floor. He turned around to face Raiden.

"What…are you?" Raiden asked. He didn't answer Raiden's question; instead, he drew his largest knife.

"Five today…" he said, and cut a long incision into his chest, above the scars on his chest. "Or rather, six?" He grinned, then leaped up above and landed behind Raiden. Raiden was still stunned, and didn't turn around. The man started to reach out with his left hand, but someone who looked like a SEAL entered the room and called out to Raiden.

"Get down!" Raiden complied, and crouched quickly. The newcomer opened fire with his M4, but when Raiden looked behind him, there was nothing there. The new SEAL entered the room, and stepped slowly. His eyes searched the room, but found nothing. "Where is he!" he spoke to himself. The man in the brown trenchcoat dropped down from the girders above the SEAL directly in front of the SEAL. He raised his M4 to aim, but he was too slow; the man knocked the rifle out of his hands and toward Raiden, cutting his left forearm in the process. He grabbed the SEAL by the head. Raiden rolled toward the M4 and grabbed it. As he came out of the roll, he was already aiming. The man then pinned the SEAL against the wall with one hand on his head, the SEAL's feet dangling above the floor. The blow knocked off the SEAL's radio headset. The man then put his face close to the SEAL and sniffed a few times.

"Hmm? Strange smell…" He moved closer and took another whiff. "You smell like -- !" He threw the SEAL to the ground and mumbled to himself, "Are you – it has to be!" The SEAL looked at Raiden and spoke.

"Shoot him! What are you waiting for!" Raiden fired the M4 at the man, but he danced around the rounds. The magazine ran out of ammunition. The man started towards Raiden with a knife drawn, but he stopped mid-dance when his radio came to life.

"Vamp?" A female's voice said through the radio.

"Yeah, Queen?" The man said, as the SEAL slid a full magazine across the floor to Raiden.

"Are you all done cleaning up?"

"Yes. But wait till I tell you what I found."

"Something…interesting?"

"I'll tell you in person. Where are you?" The clip of ammo finally reached Raiden, and he quickly loaded it.

"In the central unit, with the President."

"Be right there," He said as Raiden pulled the bolt back on the rifle. Raiden took aim, but the man was gone. Raiden heard a grunt and aimed toward the source, but a brown blur streaked across the room a couple times, then it was gone.

Raiden approached the slightly wounded SEAL with the M4 pointed at him. When he began to get up, Raiden took aim.

"Hold on, I'm not an enemy. Calm down," the SEAL said. Raiden kept the rifle aimed at him. The SEAL slid across the floor to lean against a wall; Raiden kept him in his sights. "My name is S…My name is Pliskin. Iriquois Pliskin. Lieutenant Junior Grade." Pliskin removed his balaclava to reveal a white face, with long brown hair, stubble, and green eyes.

"Are you a Navy SEAL?" Questioned Raiden. No reply. "How did you get in?"

"Fast rope decent, from a Navy chopper." A sea lice crawled out from under Pliskin and scurried away.

"Have I seen you before?" Raiden asked. Pliskin looked Raiden over.

"That suit – are you FOXHOUND?"

"That's right," Raiden answered, slightly surprised that Pliskin knew about the covert group.

"FOXHOUND was disbanded," Pliskin said. "Where were you before FOXHOUND? Delta Force?"

"I was part of the Army's Force XXI trials."

"Force XXI? That's about tactical IT deployment, right? Any field experience?"

"No, not really."

"So this is your first," Pliskin said.

"I've had extensive training – the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing."

"Like what?"

"Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80, Advanced –"

"VR, huh?"

"But realistic in every way."

"A virtual grunt of the digital age. That's just great," Pliskin said sarcastically.

"That's far more effective than live exercises."

"You don't get injured in VR, do you? Every year, a few soldiers die in field exercises."

"There's pain sensation in VR, and even a sense of reality and urgency. The only difference is that it isn't actually happening," Raiden said, defending himself.

"That's the way they want you to think, to remove you from the fear that goes with battle situations. War as a video game – what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?" Raiden, trusting Pliskin, handed him his M4.

"So you're saying that VR training is some kind of mind control?" Colonel Campbell called Raiden on the Codec.

"Raiden? What's going on?"

"The Alpha team from Navy SEAL 10 is dead…" Raiden glanced at Pliskin, who was standing up, "No, a single survivor."

"The kid's wired with nanomachines," Pliskin said, seemingly to himself.

"What about the President?" Campbell asked.

"Looks like they took him somewhere else," Raiden said.

"I see. You said there was a survivor from SEAL Team 10?"  
"Yeah. Lieutenant J. G. Pliskin."

"Has he seen your face?"

"What?"  
"This is a top-secret mission. No one can know that we're involved."

"It's a little too late for that," Raiden said as he closed the connection.

Pliskin had gathered his gear and bandaged his wounds while Raiden was speaking to the colonel. He walked down the small set of stairs to the area where the three SEALs had died. Raiden followed him. There was another body, however, that had gone unnoticed.

"What's up?" Raiden asked, as Pliskin stopped in front of the body.

"Take a look," Pliskin said. A man in Navy dress blues sat limp in a puddle of his own blood against a wall. He had half of a pair of handcuffs on his right hand.

"What the hell?" Raiden said.

"A Navy Captain." Pliskin became light-headed and started to fall backward, but he regained control and sat down on the set of stairs next to them.

"You alright?" Raiden inquired.

"Give me a few minutes," Pliskin said, as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Must have lost a few more pints than I thought." Pliskin put a cigarette in his mouth, and lit it.

"Who was that man just now?" Raiden asked.

"That bloodsucking freak? That was Vamp. He's Romanian, and a wizard with knives, as you saw."

"The way he moved didn't seem human!"

"You won't see that in VR, I guarantee."

"What is he?"

"One of the members of Dead Cell."

"Dead Cell…Him?"

"A special forces unit created by Ex-President George Sears. The name was originally intended to reflect its anti-terrorist functions. The unit would launch unannounced assaults on government complexes, for the ultimate simulation. They were needed to show VR troopers like you to deal with the real thing. But around the time their original leader died in prison, the unit began to unravel. They were always close to the edge, but they became more and more extreme; began to go after U.S. allies, even civilians. We estimate than no fewer than a hundred people died as a result of 'accidents' Dead Cell arranged on their own. They were out of control – and it all came to a head six months ago."

"What happened?"

"Two of their members died. The unit was devastated. There are only three left now – and you just saw one of them."

"Why would they go after the Big Shell?" Raiden questioned.

"How should I know? I told you they were on the lunatic fringe."

"What about the leader? He says he's Solid Snake?"

"Snake died two years ago."

"You mean the incident that made this Big Shell necessary in the first place."

"Right. And he was the one that sank that tanker."

"But he's a legend –" Raiden tried to defend him.

"Legends are usually bad news. There's not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen."

"You're saying Snake is still alive and pulled another one?"  
"No, he's not involved in this one. His body was positively ID'd two years ago."

"Snake is dead…" Raiden said, mournfully.

"And buried."

"I saw Russian equipment on those guards."

"Former Soviet military. They're probably mercenaries. The Big Shell is too much ground for just Dead Cell members to hold down. You weren't briefed on any of this, and you cam in alone, to boot? Why?" Raiden didn't answer. "What are you really doing here?" Again, no response. "Can't tell me, huh? Fine with me." Pliskin offered Raiden his pack of cigarettes.

"I don't smoke," Raiden declined Pliskin's offer.

"Keep them anyway. May come in handy." Raiden took the cigarettes and put them with his gear. "Take this, too." Pliskin took out his holstered SOCOM pistol and gave it to Raiden.

"Come in, Alpha Zero!" A dead SEAL's radio rang out, "This is Bravo Zero, currently at the bridge between Struts B and C. The President is – Damn! I can't hit this thing! It's like some kind of bad dream…Alpha! Anyone! Come in, all Alpha! This is Bravo Zero!"

"Aren't you going to answer him!" Raiden asked Pliskin. Pliskin slowly reached to the radio behind his left shoulder, but a loud scream came from the speaker, then static.

"The BC Connecting Bridge."

"We need to get there. Can you handle it?"

"I need a few more minutes," Pliskin said. Remember my frequency – it's 141.80." Pliskin tapped the radio on his shoulder. "I've been briefed on this plant's layout. If you need information on the place or about Dead Cell, contact me."

"141.80. Got it."

"You're using nanocommunication, right?" Asked Pliskin."

"Yeah, but I can patch into your frequency."

Raiden began to walk up the stairs, when Pliskin spoke to him.

"Hey – What's you're name?" After a pause, he answers him.

"Raiden."

"Raiden? Strange codename."

"Makes up for the boring ones my parents gave me," Raiden stated.

"Maybe I'll find out one day," Pliskin said as he gave Raiden a little wave as he left. Raiden was just about to go through the door to the BC Connecting Bridge, when he got a Codec call from Rose.

"Jack, do you remember what day tomorrow is?"

"That again…" Raiden said. "I'm sorry, but I still don't have a clue."

"That's okay," Rose said, disappointed.

"What is it, Rose? Talk to me."

"I'd rather you figure it out. It's important."

"How important?" Raiden asked.

"Important enough. And we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Tomorrow seems more – appropriate. I need all the help I can get so that I won't chicken out, anyway."

"Is that the reason you decided to be a part of this mission?" Rose didn't answer.

"Okay, I'm going to finish this thing by tomorrow, no matter what."

"You know I'll do everything I can to help you."

"Rose, there's something I need you to do as an analyst."

"What is it?"

"It has to do with Solid Snake. The leader of this takeover incident is claiming that he's Snake himself."

"The legendary mercenary? Hm."

"I need as much data on him as possible. Everything they have on him after the Shadow Moses incident."

"He's dead now, isn't he?"

"Yes. Should be a burial record somewhere, too. You should be able to request toplevel security clearance from the colonel. That should get us into the most classified material."

"I'm on it. I'll contact you as soon as I find out something," Rose said. The connection was cut.


	7. Plant Chapter, Enter Fortune

Plant Chapter, Enter Fortune

The BC connecting bridge was a T-shape, rotated to the left. Strut B was to the south of Strut C, with the Shell One Core to the northeast of Strut B, and southeast of Strut C. The connecting bridge was a simple design: one walkway connecting Struts B and C, and another bridge branching off in the middle, connecting the Shell One Core.

Raiden walked through the door to the BC connecting bridge with his new SOCOM drawn. He got into a position that kept him hidden in the shadows, but still had a view of the action taking place on the connecting bridge. Directly in front of him, Raiden saw two Navy SEALs facing the Shell One Core. The one furthest from Raiden was prone, and the one closer was crouched. They were both firing their M4s at a black woman with blond hair. She wore a black, shiny, form-fitting leotard with brown combat boots. She also donned a black tenchcoat draped around her shoulders, but her arms weren't in the sleeves. What was most eye-catching about the woman, however, was what she held in her right hand: a large, gunmetal grey railgun, easily larger than the young woman herself. It would have been impossible for her to carry the cumbersome weapon if it weren't for the strong strap connected to both end of the devastating weapon that was strung over her left shoulder. The attractive woman simply stood in behind another figure, in a white oxford shirt and black slacks, who was laying unconscious on the bridge. A black metal briefcase with half a pair of handcuffs attached to the handle was laying on the bridge next to the aged man. Seagulls circled above the connecting bridge.

The two SEALs continuously fired at the black woman, but she stood out in the open, not moving. With their experience, the range of their target, and their weapons, the elite soldiers should have easily been able to eliminate the target. But they couldn't. The crouched SEAL reloaded his rifle and continued his volley of lead. The woman stepped forward and stopped at the body in front of her. The SEALs fired their weapons again, and their bullets flew through the air towards the woman, but as the rounds reached about six feet in front of the woman, they diverged from their previous paths and curved almost three feet around the woman's body. Raiden saw the bullets hit the walls behind the woman, and thought out loud, "What the hell is that!" The woman, growing tired of the game, spoke to herself.

"Come, put me out of my misery." The crouched SEAL leaned over to his partner and spoke.

"This is impossible! Nothing will hit her!"

"Is she the one they call Fortune?" asked the prone SEAL.

Vamp stepped out of the Shell One Core door behind Fortune and stepped casually to Fortune, stopping just in front of her, and to her left. He reached down to pick up the unconscious man and slung him over his left shoulder. He then reached down with his right hand and picked up the briefcase. Vamp began to walk back to the Shell One Core, but halted beside Fortune.

"Queen," he said, addressing Fortune. She nodded, and Vamp continued into the Shell One Core. The prone SEAL looked at the other one, and spoke to him.

"Don't let them take the President!" He said, referring to the unconscious man. The crouched SEAL looked to the Strut C end of the connecting bridge and saw three running SEALs, led by a soldier with an M203 grenade launcher attached to his M4. The SEALs stopped at the branch of the Shell One Core part of the connecting bridge. The lead SEAL aimed his M4 at Fortune, and warned the others.

"Ready grenades!" The soldier moved his left hand from under the barrel of the M4 to the magazine, and placed his index finger on the M203 trigger. He fired, and the grenade was right on target. Instead of detonating on impact, however, it landed at the feet of Fortune and sizzled. "A dud?" exclaimed the SEAL who fired the explosive. The trio of soldiers began to move down the connecting bridge, toward Fortune.

The crouching SEAL near Raiden stood up, tapped the prone SEAL, and hopped over him to join the other SEALs advancing on Fortune. The prone SEAL stood up and did the same. Three more SEALs appeared from Strut C to make a total of eight soldiers. The three SEALs moving toward Fortune did so slowly and carefully. All eight of the soldiers kept their weapons trained on Fortune the entire time. Fortune kicked the M203 grenade slightly, and it rolled a few inches.

"Today is another bad day…" Fortune said as her immense railgun's barrel extended a foot, and blue energy could be seen crackling from one side of the barrel to the other. "Is there anyone here that can give me happiness?" Fortune said too quietly for the soldiers to have heard her. Fortune brought the railgun to her shoulder, and peered into the small scope on the railgun. At this point, blue energy was surging all around the railgun's barrel. The SEALs shrieked in terror at the sight of the weapon being pointed at them. Fortune pulled the trigger. Blinding, blue energy was launched at the SEALs. It hit the connecting bridge, and completely destroyed the SEALs, and the connecting bridge. The majority of the Shell One Core's portion of the connecting bridge was completely decimated, sending the three SEALs soaring along with chunks of the lightweight bridge. The blast even knocked the four SEALs on the BC Struts' walkway over the edge of the catwalk, into the sea so far below. One of the three advancing SEALs was thrown in front of Fortune, on part of the catwalk that was still partially intact.

Content with her work, Fortune let go of her railgun, letting the strap over her shoulder carry the brunt of the weight. Fortune looked down at the SEAL on lying on the bridge in front of her. The portion of the bridge that he was lying on began to give way, and bend vertically at the feet of Fortune. The SEAL tried to hold onto the unharmed part of the bridge, but he couldn't get a grip. The portion of the catwalk he was on kept bending. He pleaded with Fortune with his eyes, but Fortune remained stoic, although she kept her gaze on him. The ruined section broke away from the rest of the structurally-sound bridge, and the SEAL screamed as he plummeted to his watery death.

Fortune stood still. The part of the BC connecting bridge that joined with the Shell One Core was now completely destroyed; there was no way of getting across it in its current state. A dead, smoking seagull fell next to Fortune and twitched. Other seagulls began to fall from the sky, all burnt from Fortune's railgun.

"I'm so sorry, my beauties," Fortune apologized to the creatures, "I'll see you again someday." Fortune turned around, and headed back inside the Shell One Core. Raiden crouched and contacted the Colonel via Codec.

"Colonel, SEAL Team 10's Bravo team was wiped out!" Raiden informed Campbel.

"I see," the Colonel said, without showing much concern.

"What happened to the Black Hawk helicopters the SEALs used to infiltrate?"

"Both of them are at the bottom of the harbor. Looks like your new hosts have a Harrier-2."

"A Harrier! What is this?" Raiden exclaimed.

"Clam down," Campbell said, " It just means they anticipated the attack."

"What?"

"Besides," the Colonel ignored Raiden's inquiry, "since the SEALs drew their fire, your infiltration went off without a hitch. On top of that, we know their defensive capabilities."

"Are you saying that this was all a feint?"

"Raiden, get a hold of yourself. The entire mission is in your hands now, do you understand?"

"But—"

"There isn't time for questions," the Colonel cut Raiden off, "They could decide to retaliate for that failed assault."

"You mean the hostages?" Raiden asked, concerned.

"They could be in danger, yes. But we need to consider the possibility that they'll blow the whole Shell. If that toxic spill does take place, it'll devastate not only the harbor, but poison the coastline for generations. Raiden, we've had to adjust the mission objectives. The priority is now on removing those C4s that the terrorists wired over the Big Shell. The president can wait, but this can't."

"Colonel, you know I'm no bomb disposal expert," Raiden stated.

"That's not a problem – the Bravo team brought an explosives pro in with them. He was supposed to stand by on Strut C according to their mission plan. You should find him there."

"Is this according to simulation, too?" Raiden said, scornfully.

"What are you talking about? Get to Strut C and find him!"

"Understood. But I need to ask you something before I go."

"Make it quick."

"Who are they – Dead Cell, I mean? They couldn't hit her, no matter how hard they tried…And that vampire, too…It's like…It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from!"

"Jack, snap out of it!" Rose cut in.

"And you, Rose…I can't believe you're on this mission. I keep thinking I'll wake up…"

"Raiden, this is real. And that's why you won't wale up," Campbell said.

"But nothing seems real!" Raiden said.

"I've made up my mind to stay with you. Whether this is real or a bad dream, I'll keep watching you, till it's over," Rose reassured Raiden.

"Thank you, Rose. And I won't let you be just a dream," Raiden said to Rose.

"Are you two done? Raiden, you're needed on Strut C," Campbell brought Raiden's attention back to the mission.


	8. Plant Chapter, Enter Stillman

Plant Chapter, Enter Stillman

Raiden walked out onto the BC connecting bridge. The section that connected the Shell One Core was completely demolished with no way to traverse the gap in the bridge. Raiden disregarded this, as he didn't need to use that part of the bridge currently. Instead, he ran across the empty catwalk and entered Strut C.

In front of Raiden upon entering Strut C was a long planter full of ferns. Beyond this was a hallway, with a restroom on either side of it. Raiden moved around the planter and made his way down the hallway. He came to a door on his left, but continued on. The corridor turned to the right, and another door was on Raiden's left. As he walked past it, he heard something drop from the other side of the door. Raiden decided to investigate it, and moved toward the door. It opened, and Raiden peeked into the room. It was a kitchen, with a mess hall on the southwestern side. He saw a black man with a jacket on crouched in front of an oven. Raiden rushed into the room with his pistol drawn.

"Freeze!" Raiden said, with his SOCOM aimed at the crouched man. A cane was leaning against the counter to the right of the man.

"Don't shoot!" bellowed the man. His voice was that of an old man's. He was easily in his fifties. He raised his hands into the air to show that he wasn't armed, and placed his hands on the counter above his head.

"You a cop?" Raiden asked, referring to the words on the back of his jacket that read 'NYPD POLICE BOMB SQUAD'.

"I'm not NYPD. I came in with the Bravo team. Who are you with? And what happened to SEAL Team 10?" asked the crouched man.

"They're all dead," Raiden replied.

"All of them?" the black man said as he furrowed his brow. "That's bad." He began to stand, pushing himself up with his arms.

"Did I tell you you could move?" Raiden said as he adjusted his aim.

"It's all right," came a familiar voice from Raiden's left. Raiden swung around with his weapon in front of him to meet the owner of the voice. "He's not one of the bad guys." Pliskin walked in from the mess hall area and approached the Raiden and the stranger. "Don't go pointing that thing everywhere, kid." Pliskin spoke of Raiden's pistol. Raiden put away the gun. "What's your name?" Pliskin asked the man in the NYPD jacket.

"My name is Peter. Peter Stillman.," he said as he leaned up against the counter and grabbed his cane with his right hand.

"Lecturer at NAVSCOLEOD Indian Head and also a consultant for the NYPD bomb squad," Pliskin obviously had heard the name before.

"A poor old man who got dragged along for this picnic," Stillman said as he hobbled over to a table.

"I thought you'd retired," Pliskin said.

"I did. Can't keep up with everybody, as you can see," Stillman motioned to his right leg, which was very stiff. A prosthetic. "A famous church got wiped off the map thanks to me. With too many lives inside. All I lost was this leg."

"So, you're the bomb disposal guy?" Raiden said to Peter.

"Kid, this is THE bomb disposal guy," Pliskin began explaining. "Open any explosives disposal textbook and you'll see his name."

"Heh, just ancient history now," Stillman said.

"Why did they bring you out of retirement then?" Raiden asked.

"Because the terrorist group here includes one of my former students," Stillman stated. "The Emperor of Explosives – Fatman. He built an atomic bomb when he was only ten. I created him, in a sense."

"And that's why you're here –" Pliskin got cut off.

"I'm pretty rusty. I was supposed to supervise the bomb disposal. Looks like ti was taken care of before I had my turn," Stillman said.

"I wouldn't say that. There are at least two people here who can claim to be experts at bomb disposal."

"Are you two with SEAL Team 10?" Stillman inquired. "I didn't see you at the mission briefing."

"Oh, we're, uh, with another squad," Pliskin said. "My name is Pliskin, Lieutenant Junior Grade. Honored to meet you, sir." Pliskin extended his hand to Stillman.

"Mr. Pliskin," Stillman said, ignoring Pliskin's hand, "do you have any experience with explosives disposal?"

"Don't worry about me. And he looks young, but he can do it," Pliskin said, motioning to Raiden. "But we need more manpower."

"I, uhh –" Raiden interrupted.

"What's your name?" Stillman asked Raiden.

"Raiden."

"That's an odd name," Stillman turned away from the two soldiers.

"Any other survivors?" Raiden asked.

"There was an engineer with me."

"An engineer?"

"A skinny guy with glasses. He went in with us."

"Where is he?"

"I haven't seen him since that skirmish."

"Was he killed?"

"I don't think so. I didn't find his body."

"I see," said Pliskin.

"They told me he was the security systems architect for the Big Shell."

"Why would they take a civilian along?" Asked Raiden.

"Everything in this structure is computer-controlled. He was supposed to get us past all the security measures."

"I never heard anything about that."

"He had official orders with him."

"We'll leave that for later. Right now, we need to figure out how to deal with all the bombs," Pliskin said.

"But there's no one left from the SEAL's Explosive Ordnance Disposal squad," Raiden said.

"Yep. So we have to do it ourselves."

"But I've never defused a bomb before." Raiden's Codec rang. "Hang on a sec."

"Off to confer with the CO again?" Pliskin asked.

"Glad to hear Stillman is safe. Assist him in any way possible to clear the C4 from the structure," Colonel Campbell said.

"Colonel, you know I've never been trained in bomb disposal."

"It's all right. The man you're working with is the best in the field. All you have to do is follow his directions. You will, of course, keep your identity and mission objectives to yourself."

"Is it true that an engineer came in with Sillman?"  
"I wasn't informed of that. It's probably something the SEALs decided on their own. There are more important issues at hand, Raiden. The enemy may retaliate for the failed assault. Get those C4s neutralized now."

"Colonel, I'm not qualified for bomb disposal."

"Jack, it's me." Rose Interrupted.

"Rose?" Jack said.

"You can do this. Trust me."

"You haven't had bomb disposal training per se in VR, but you're more than capable of handling C4," Campbell said.

"This is a little different from using C4!" Raiden exclaimed.

"You're up for this. You know that," Rose said.

"How about it, kid?" Raiden heard Pliskin talk to him. "Are the results in yet?"

Raiden cut the Codec connection and agreed to help neutralize the bombs. Pliskin and Raiden moved to the table Stillman was at for a lesson in bomb disposal.

"There's no need to think about this so much," Stillman said to Raiden and Pliskin. "You won't actually be dismantling the bomb; that's not for amateurs. What we'll try here instead is a temporary freezing measure. Here, look at this." Stillman set a sample C4 charge down on the table. "This is a C4 bomb." He pressed a button on the bomb, and a small green light began to blink. "It's live. You can see it pulsing." Peter then picked up what resembled a handheld fire extinguisher. "Now, you spray this on the sucker, and…" Stillman shook the can and sprayed some of its contents onto the C4 for a few seconds. The green light stopped blinking. "There we go. Simple, huh? This spray freezes the detonator instantly." Stillman then handed Raiden and Pliskin their own coolant sprays.

"How long does the effect last?" Raiden asked.

"There's no way the thing can detonate in this condition. Even if you leave it alone, it'll stay out of commission for at least twenty-four hours."

"That's enough time," Pliskin said.  
"If we had the manpower, I'd recommend complete disposal, but this will have to do. The spray can be used from several yards away. Check the floor, ceiling, walls, under a table – everywhere. Try to imagine the locations the bomber would choose."

"That won't be easy. We don't know a thing about Fatman," Pliskin said.

"Is there anything that'll help us locate the bombs?" Raiden asked.

"Here, take this with you." Stillman handed Raiden and Pliskin each a small remote control-like object. "It's what they call an Ion Mobility Spectrometer. It can recognize ionized gas emitted by C4s."

"The what?" Raiden was obviously confused.

"In other words, that little gadget sniffs out C4's scent," Pliskin paraphrased.

"That's right. There's a small screen on the sensor that represents the cloud of gas relative to your location," Stillman explained.

"What if he's using some other, odorless substance?" Raiden asked.

"I know Fatman well. I know how into his own aesthetics he is," Peter said.

"Signatures?" Pliskin said.

"Yes. On every bomb he builds, he always leaves a trace of the cologne he uses. The sensr also picks up that particular scent spectrum," Stillman stated.

"Is that something he picked up from you?"

"No, it was his own quirk. He wouldn't work by any rules except his own, and he followed them like a religion. And common sense wasn't one of his strong points. I thought I taught him everything I knew. I have no children of my own, and I thought I found a son in him. He had the right stuff, you know. There's something very unusual about an ability like that. Even at Indian Head, he got special treatment. I remember some people called him one of the 'fat cats'. Maybe that's what started all this. I didn't teach him the most important thing I had to tell him. There are some things you have to pass on. The trick is to know which ones. Right…all I taught him were skills. And now I have to stop him from using it to destroy us all."

"Let's see how well that sensor works," Pliskin said to change the subject.

"All right. Fatman would have allotted some C4s here in Strut C as well," Stillman said.

"Here?" Raiden said.

"I'm activating the sensors. Watch." Raiden and Pliskin both looked at the small LCD screens on their sensors as they were turned on. A green area appeared on the screen south of their position.

"You see the green stuff on the screen? That's a visual representation of the C4 scent detected by the sensor," Stillman explained.

"It's a pretty big area, isn't it?" Raiden stated.

"Don't complain. It's better than nothing," Pliskin said.

"Just activate the sensors and search the area, okay?" Stillman pleaded.

"All right," Raiden said.

"I know the structure of this facility." Peter said, "And if he wants to take out the Big Shell, where he would target."

"You know this for sure?" Pliskin asked.

"Of course. I taught him the techniques he uses. His ideas are based on my theories. Demolition is a kind of ideology; it makes no exceptions for time or place." Stillman confirmed. "The Big Shell consists of two hexagons joined end-on-end, north to south. There should be packets of C4s on each of the vertices, or struts in this case. You need at least that to take a building of this integrity out."

"Six on Shell One, another six Shell Two – a total of twelve bombs, minimum?" Pliskin examined.

"Considering the Shell's architecture and composition from an engineering standpoint, that's my conclusion. And it's exactly what Fatman would have decided as well."

"Kid, this place is all yours. I'll take care of Shell Two," Pliskin said to Raiden.

"Take this," Stillman said as he gave Raiden and Pliskin each a credit card-sized passcard.

"What are these?" Raiden asked.

"Security cards issued to Big Shell personnel. The Big Shell's security layout includes varying levels of clearance. The clearance level is identified by the numbers printed on the doors all over the structure. Raiden, your card key can open doors with security clearance level one. Pliskin, your card can get you into level three areas. You'll need it to get to Shell Two."

"How did you get these?" Raiden asked again.

"That engineer I told you about gave it to me. He was supposed to program a set of all-access cards once we were on-site. Unfortunately, these cards won't get you into every area of the structure." Stillman said.

"We'll have to deal with the remaining security lockouts as they come up. Let's get going." Peter began to walk with Pliskin and Raiden outside, but Pliskin stopped him. "You stay here."

"No, I'm going," Stillman insisted.

"The two of us can handle it, don't worry."

"But –"

"You'll just slow us down with that leg of yours. There's a war going on here. I don't have time to babysit anymore."

"Why don't you let us do the grunt work? You can tell us what to do over the radio, like in the original mission plan," Raiden compromised.

"All right," Stillman said as he entered a large walk-in pantry. "I'll give you instructions from here. I may also need to prepare a backup plan just in case."

"In case of what?" Raiden asked.

"Good luck to both of you," Stillman ignored Raiden's inquiry. "This is a dangerous one."

"Who dares, wins," Pliskin said.

"If anything comes up, let me know. My frequency is 140.25," Stillman informed the two soldiers.

"Good luck, kid. I'll see you later." Pliskin headed for the door, but before he left, he said, "Semper fi."

"That man's no SEAL. I don't even think he's a Navy man," Stillman said after the door closed behind Pliskin,

"What?" Raiden asked.

"'Semper fi' is.Marine Corps talk. Normally, SEAL team leaders stay in the Command Post and give orders with those headphones. And as far as I know, SEALs keep their officers away from the field. And 'Who dares, wins' is the motto of the British Special Air Service."

"Is he one of the terrorists, then?"

"No, somehow I don't think so. If there's someone to suspect, I'd put my money on you."

"I'm –" Raiden began to say something, but was cut off by Peter's laughter.

"Just take care of those bombs for now," Stillman directed Raiden.

"What about you? Those guards could be back in this area soon."

"I'll hide out in this pantry for a while. If I lock the door, it should be all right. Plenty of food in here, too, so you won't need to worry about me. I'll give you instructions by Codec from here. Good luck, kid. Bomb disposal is a face-off with your own mortality. Don't let the fear get to you. When you give in to the fear, the darkness comes." Peter shut and locked the pantry door, leaving Raiden to disarm the C4 bombs.


	9. Plant Chapter, Bomb Defusal

Plant Chapter, Bomb Defusal

Raiden exited the mess hall and retraced his steps, heading toward the BC connecting bridge. When he reached the long planter, he checked his bomb sensor. The ladies' restroom was bathed in green on the display. Raiden cautiously entered the restroom, and immediately noticed a blinking green light reflected by the mirror in front of the right sink. Raiden moved closer to the countertop and found a packet of C4 attached to a high overhang above him. Raiden produced his coolant spray and sprayed the explosives until the small LED light ceased pulsating. He then contacted Stillman via Codec.

"Raiden here. I took care of the C4 in Strut C. The ceiling of the women's bathroom was set to blow."

"That's not like him," Peter replied.

"Anything wrong?"

"Maybe. Pliskin's reported other locations, too, and none of them are effective demolition points."

"What do you mean?" Raiden asked.

"It means that they wouldn't be the best places to choose if you wanted to destroy this place."

"Are you saying they don't plan on blowing the Shell up?"

"It certainly seems that way. So far, we haven't seen anything but a waste of good explosives. Unless, of course, we're missing something…"

"A trap?"

"Fatman couldn't have overlooked the fact that I would be called into this. There's something going on." Stillman then cut the connection.

Raiden headed northeast, passing the mess hall once again. He exited Strut C and found himself on the CD connecting bridge. He peeked out from behind a doorway and spotted a sentry on the far side of the dual-level bridge. The guard turned around and headed toward Raiden, passing the first set of stairs leading to the lower level of the bridge, then the second staircase as he neared the doorway Raiden was behind. The guard stopped just past the second set of stairs, then turned around and headed back to his original position. Raiden ran out onto the bridge and hurled himself off the platform, catching onto the footbridge with his hands. He hung off the side of the bridge until the Gurlukovich guard passed him on his way to Strut C. Raiden then quickly climbed back onto the connecting bridge and sprinted to Strut D, which he entered.

Strut D was a sediment pool; two levels of catwalks arranged in a half-circle connected to the sides of the strut, all suspended above a deep pool of shimmering green water. Four doors were present in the strut: One in the southwest, leading to the CD connecting bridge, which Raiden had just entered from, one door to the north, leading to the Shell 1-2 connecting bridge, and two doors to the southeast, one located above the other, both leading to the DE connecting bridge. There was a central hub on the top floor in the center of the strut, which had pathways directly connecting to each of the three doors. Two guards patrolled the top floor, while one patrolled the bottom. When all three had their back turned to Raiden, he moved out from the doorway and jumped over the side of the catwalk railing, hanging off the bridge once again. He let go of his handhold, and caught onto the catwalk directly below him. He lifted himself onto the bridge and checked his bomb sensor. The area in which he was standing in was covered in green. Raiden checked the underside of the bridge above him, but no bomb. He then noticed a maintenance hatch at his feet. Raiden opened it and spied another bomb. The special operative hastily froze the bomb with his coolant spray, and then closed the hatch. Raiden took check of the guards' positions; one was heading his way. Raiden swiftly hung off the side of the catwalk as the sentry made his way toward Raiden's position. He went unnoticed as the Russian continued his patrol route. Raiden returned to the platform and made his way around to the lower door to the DE connecting bridge, which he entered.

Raiden evaded the guard on the DE connecting bridge and made his way to Strut E, the material distribution facility. The strut was filled with waist-high conveyor belts, creating a sort of maze in the strut. On the moving conveyor belts were crates and boxes. The conveyor belts moved the crates from one strut in the Big Shell to another; Strut E was the hub of the system. When Raiden found a sufficient piece of cover to hide his presence from the two guards in the area, he checked his bomb sensor. A long line of green color filled the screen, replicating the path of the conveyor belt in the strut. Raiden was puzzled for a moment until a blinking green light caught his eye. He looked up and saw a bomb attached to the side of a box on the conveyor belt being circulated around the room. Raiden waited at his position for the crate to make its way to him. As it neared him, Raiden took his coolant spray in his hand and sprayed the bomb as it moved past him. The explosives moved out of range; they were still armed. Raiden would have to wait until the bomb made its way around the strut and came back to him again. Raiden peeked out from around his cover and checked on the sentries in the strut. They didn't look like they were aware of his presence. Raiden turned his attention back to the bomb, which was coming closer to him. Raiden once again readied his coolant spray and sprayed the bomb. After a few seconds, the green light on the packet of C4 switched off; it was disarmed. Raiden turned his focus to his surroundings and noticed a small hallway leading out from the east side of the strut. Raiden avoided the guards and moved to the passageway. It led to a staircase leading up, came to a small landing, then continued again. Raiden climbed the stairs and went through the door at the top of the stairs.

Raiden found himself outside, on a narrow catwalk around the circumference of the strut. Raiden moved forward and came to a long set of stairs. He heard voices from above, at the top of the staircase. Raiden knelt at the base of the stairs, out of view and listened in.

"I've taken care of that annoying fly. What's the situation over there?" crackled a man's voice from over a radio.

"Puzzling. I saw a man dressed like a ninja just now," replied a female voice with a Russian accent.

"Ninja?"

"It's the only way to describe it. A kind of cyborg ninja, complete with a sword."

"What! Are you hiding something from me? Olga, are you sure it wasn't an Arsenal Tengu?"

"Don't be a fool. Think I wouldn't know the difference? I've never seen field gear like that, ever."

"All right. We'll intensify patrols. Anything else?"

"Actually, one more thing. You'll find it hard to believe, though. I saw a man hiding under a cardboard box."

"Where?"

"On the connecting bridge to Shell Two."

"Hmm."

"So you believe me this time?"

"I've seen someone use that box trick before. We'll lay a trap on the Shell 2 connecting bridge."

"Over and out, then," the woman said. As soon as she placed the radio she held in her hand on her belt, Raiden swung into view and raised his pistol at the woman.

"Freeze!" Raiden yelled. The Russian woman turned to look down at Raiden. She had short, nearly-white hair, even though she was very young. She also wore an urban camouflage BDUs, the same uniform as the other soldiers on the Big Shell. A pistol holster was on her right hip, and a large knife on her left. "Are you one of Dead Cell?" Raiden inquired.

"Of course not. What a thing to say!" she returned. Raiden suddenly noticed the small pistol she had been holding in her right hand.

"Drop your gun!"

"Not a chance!" the woman quickly leaped off of the staircase and gracefully landed on the EF connecting bridge below, then sprinted to Strut F and disappeared from sight. Raiden raised Pliskin on the Codec.

"I saw a female soldier – Russian," Raiden said to Pliskin.

"Must be Olga Gurlukovich, Pliskin relpied.

"How do you know?"

"Unlike you, I've been briefed."

"She's not part of Dead Cell?"

"No, she commands a Russian private army."

"They must be the ones patrolling the Big Shell," concluded Raiden.

"That's right. She's led the group ever since her old man, Colonel Gurlukovich, died. Watch yourself with her. She's a tough one," Pliskin cut the connection.

Raiden continued up the stairs and reached the south side of Strut E's flat roof. There were nearly ten large shipping containers on the roof, each raised about a foot and a half by legs on each corner. Raiden moved towards the north side of the roof, evading guards. Raiden made it to the very north of the strut and found a Harrier airplane sitting idle on the roof. Upon further inspection, Raiden eyed a packet of C4 on the right-rear wheel chock. Raiden waited until the guards in the area left on their patrols, then ran to the aircraft and laid down to get access to the bomb. Raiden produced the coolant spray and deactivated the bomb. Raiden got back up and ran to one of the shipping containers. He then proned, and crawled under the container. Safe, he then contacted Stillman via Codec.

"Raiden here. The C4 reported on the roof of Strut E has been taken care of. Explosives were planted on the Harrier 2 stationed on the roof."

"This is all wrong," Stillman said. "This is something only an amateur would do."

"What do you mean?"

"All the bombs that have been found so far don't appear to be in the right kind of locations. And the quantity of explosives isn't sufficient, either."

"Even Fatman can makes mistakes, right?"

"No. There's something else going on here. Get a move on with the disposal, Raiden. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Do you think it's a trap?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to tell Pliskin to watch his back, too. Just hurry." Stillman cut the connection. Raiden made his way back to the stairs at the southern end of the roof and moved down to the conveyor area. Strut E clear of bombs, Raiden exited the strut and emerged on the EF connecting bridge. The EF connecting bridge also connected the Shell One Core with the outer rim of struts, forming another T-shaped connecting bridge. There was a noticeable absence of guards on this bridge, though. As Raiden moved to the are of the bridge where it widened to almost fifteen feet, he received a Codec call.

"Be careful! There are Claymore mines around there," said a voice that had obviously been run through a modulator to hide the owner's identity.

"Who is this?" Raiden asked.

"Stealth-equipped Claymore mines, invisible to the naked eye. Use the mine detector."

"Identify yourself!"

"Just call me 'Deepthroat.'"

"Deepthroat? You mean from Shadow Moses?"

"Mr. X, then."

"Mr. X now, is it? Why would it matter if I called you Deepthoat?"

"Nevermind about that," Mr. X said.

"Why did you contact me?"

"Let's just say I'm one of your fans," Mr. X said as he cut the connection. Raiden contacted Colonel Campbell.

"Colonel, someone calling himself Mr. X just contacted me. Do you know anything about it?"

"No – and whoever it was, it wasn't a burst transmission. The transmission was sent from within the Big Shell," Campbell replied.

"He called himself 'Deepthroat' at first. Do you think…?"

"I caught that part too, but the possibility of it being true is none. Gray Fox used that alias in Shadow Moses, and he's dead."

"Is it an enemy trap?" asked Raiden.

"Could be. Exercise extreme caution." Campbell cut the connection.

Raiden thought about what Mr. X had said. Modern Claymore mines used infrared sensors to trigger the explosives in them. If Raiden moved in one's range, which was about three feet, the Claymore would detonate, more than likely killing him. Mr. X said that a mine detector would work, but Raiden didn't have one, and the bomb sensor wasn't picking up anything. Raiden decided to hang off the side of the bridge and move across that way. Raiden walked slowly toward the side of the connecting bridge, keeping as close as he could to the railing. Once he got to the side of the catwalk unharmed, he flipped off the side and caught himself on the bottom of the catwalk. Raiden shimmied over to the other end of the bridge, then hoisted himself up. Again, he slowly walked to the bridge's exit, then entered Strut F, unharmed.

Strut F was the Big Shell's warehouse. It was comprised of two levels, with the top level nothing more than a catwalk around the rim of the strut, looking down on the first floor below. There were several small rooms branching off on both floors. Raiden found himself on the top floor. He moved down a short hallway to arrive in the main room. There was one guard on the top level, and one on the bottom. The one on the top went around to the right, moving away from Raiden. Raiden moved left, heading toward where the bomb sensor indicated the bomb was located. He reached the spot, but found no packet of C4. He looked over the railing and saw the explosives in a small alcove made of heavy crates. Raiden hung off the railing when the guards weren't looking, and dropped into the alcove. Surrounded by boxes, Raiden quickly froze the C4 with coolant spray. Raiden climbed on top of the boxes, then dropped down and exited the strut when it was clear.

Raiden moved onto the FA connecting bridge and found a guard patrolling, as well as a Cypher unmanned aerial vehicle. The guard kept on the top level of the connecting bridge, and the Cypher alternated between the top and bottom levels. Raiden quickly crossed the bridge unseen and entered Strut A, the first strut he had infiltrated.

There was still a guard in the small cubical patrolling; Raiden passed him with ease, and moved into the pump room to the south. This room was unguarded, and was comprised of a complex of pipes and pressure tanks and pumps. The bomb sensor displayed a patch of green in the middle of it all. Raiden climber over the pipes and eventually found the packet of C4. He took out his coolant spray and froze it. He then called Stillman on the Codec.

"This is Raiden. The C4 found in Strut A has been frozen and disposed of. Explosives were planted in the Pump Room on the first floor."

"Good work. Only one more left to go," Stillman said.

"This is Pliskin. Do you read me, Pete?" Pliskin joined the conversation.

"I'm here. What's up?" Stillman answered.

"Raiden, you need to hear this, too," Pliskin said.

"I'm listening," Raiden replied.

"I checked out the bottom of Strut H for you, Pete."

"Wait, what's this about?" asked Raiden.

"I asked Pliskin to look around," Stillman informed Raiden. "Knowing Fatman, I can't shake the feeling that all the bombs so far were just wrong."

"So, did you find anything?" Raiden asked.

"A hell of a lot of C4's packed into the bottom of the strut. Pete called it right," Pliskin stated.

"I knew he had the real thing up his sleeve…" Stillman said.

"So all the other ones were dummies?" Raiden inquired.

"No, they're a threat all right, but the detonation wouldn't be enough to destroy the entire shell. But the C4's Pliskin found would inflict serious structural damage."

"That's not the bad news, either. These are sensor-proof," Pliskin said.

"What!" Stillman exclaimed.

"New model, I guess. The ionization sensor can't detect them. The whole thing is sealed tight to prevent vapor leak, and there's no trace of that cologne signature," Pliskin said. "Pete, looks like he fooled you."

"Yes…" Stillman said regretfully. "But you managed to find the C4 anyway?"

"It was sheer luck," Pliskin said.

"Bombs that are invisible to the sensor…" Raiden worried.

"Any ideas, Pete?" Pliskin asked.

"Are there more out there?" Raiden asked.

"I'll go see for myself," Stillman said.

"You can't move fast enough," Raiden stated.

"He's right," Pliskin said. "I can try the spray from a distance."

"Hold on!" Stillman demanded. "There's something not right about this one. I can feel it."

"Well, Pete? Should I come back and get you?" Pliskin suggested.

"No, there's no need," Stillman said. "Raiden, you have one left to go, correct?"  
"Right – Except for those scentless ones," Raiden answered.

"How about you, Pliskin?"

"I have two left not counting this one," Pliskin said.

"OK…It'll have to be me. I have the level four card that'll get me into Shell Two in any case," Stillman said.

"You'll never make it. With that bad leg of yours, they'll spot you for sure," Raiden said.

"That won't happen. I…I can walk just fine. I can even run." Stillman said.

"What do you mean?" Pliskin asked.

"That bomb, five years ago. I messed up. Even with all my experience, I lost it. And a church was lost in the explosion. All those kids playing nearby, too…These past five years, I've lived a lie."

"Lied?" Raiden said.

"Yes, lied," Stillman began. "I didn't lose my leg in the explosion. So many dead – all because of my mistake. All I could think about was hiding from the crime, shielding myself from the public outcry. I wanted people to be sorry for me…for my weakness. I faked being a victim myself because I couldn't bear to face the families of the real victims. This is no prosthetic. I can keep my footing on catwalks and hike over deserts. I lived my lie so well I haven't even answered to myself for my sins…It was supposed to be s shield…and it became a shroud instead. I've killed my soul by playing the victim. Instead of protecting me, it's made my life even more hellish."

"What good can that do the victims?" Pliskin asked.

"I know! I'm a coward!" Stillman said.

"Hey, Pete…"

"God forgive me," Stillman said. "I can walk with out two feet. And I need them to stop Fatman. His crimes are also mine – one of omission, and arrogance. No one should teach the skills I taught him without a clear conscience. This is the only way I can defuse my own sins."

"I get you, Pete. That one's all yours. You got it, Raiden?" Pliskin asked.

"I understand," Raiden said.

"Pete, I've taken care of guards in Struts G and H of Shell Two. I wouldn't recommend you go into any of the other struts."

"I owe you one," Stillman said.

"I'll get back to freezing the baby bombs, then," Pliskin said.

"You do that, too, Raiden," Stillman said.

"I'm on it," Raiden said.

"I'll have the radio with me, if you need to get in touch. Just don't ask for 'Peg-Legged Peter.' He's gone for good," Stillman said as he cut the connection.

Raiden climbed back over the pipes and exited the Pump Room. Raiden passed the cubical sentry and emerged on the AB connecting bridge again. Raiden crossed the bridge like he did the first time. He hung off the side of the catwalk and shimmied to the other side of the bridge. The guard began to move to the opposite side, and Raiden pulled himself back up, and entered Strut B.

The hallway outside the transformer room was still bloodied from Vamp's attack earlier. The smell had gotten worse. The SEAL team's bodies had been removed, however. A single guard patrolled the hallway. As the guard began to move down the hall, Raiden entered the transformer room. A guard was walking to and fro in the lower section of the room. Raiden moved north, and was about to exit the transformer room when he saw a part of the wall behind an open locker door bathed in green light. Raiden shut the locker to find the last packet of C4. Raiden hurriedly froze the explosive, then called Stillman on the Codec.

"I have the last C4 frozen. There's nothing showing up on the sensor now," Raiden explained.

"Good work, Raiden," Stillman praised Raiden.

"You're way ahead of me, kid," Pliskin joined the conversation. "I still have one more to go. How's your bomb, Peter?"

"It's a bomb all right. Sealed C4, and in huge quantities."

"You think there's another one in Shell One?" Asked Raiden.

"For sure. Somewhere at the bottom of Strut A," Stillman said.

"Why are you so certain?" asked Raiden.

"If this bottom section of the strut is demolished, Shell Two will be on its way to destruction." Stillman replied.

"You mean that Shell Two will actually sink?" Pliskin asked.

"Not immediately. There'll still be five struts left." Stillman responded. "But if Shell One loses a strut at the same time, it'll be a very different story. The Big Shell's structural integrity depends on a very exact balance. If both Shells lose a strut each, the whole structure will tear itself apart under its own weight."

"What do we do?" Raiden inquired.

"I have a sensor that can locate even those scentless C4's. It makes combined use of a neutron scintllator and a hydrogen bomb detector."

"You brought that stuff with you?"

"Of course. I made the calibrations while I was in the pantry."

"Does it work?"

"I just tested it, and it definitely responds. But the best I can do is a sound beacon, not a display."

"Sound?"

"The shorter the interval between beacons, the closer the target."

"I get you."  
"There's another one in that pantry I was in. You can go back and get it."

"It's all yours, Raiden," Pliskin said.

"I'm going to study it some more, and see if the freezing process will work. Don't touch the other one until I say so," Stillman said.

"OK, I'll standby until you radio in," Raiden said.

Raiden exited the transformer room and Strut B to come out onto the BC connecting bridge. There was no guard; instead, a Cypher was present. As soon as Raiden saw it, the Cypher descended below the connecting bridge. Raiden seized the opportunity and sprinted across the bridge. Fortune's handiwork was still present, as the connection to the Shell One Core was still destroyed. Raiden entered Strut C.

Raiden sprinted down the empty hallway and entered the kitchen. The entire strut had been deserted. Raiden saw the sensor on one of the shelves in the pantry and took it, then called Stillman.

"Peter, I have Sensor B."

"Good. Head to the bottom of Strut A," Stillman instructed.

"How's your invisible bomb?" Raiden asked.

"I'm looking at it, but I'm keeping my distance. How's Pliskin doing?" Stillman said.

"A few more minutes," Pliskin informed. "I just got to the last strut, but there are a few enemy sentries I have to take care of. Does it look bad, Peter?"

"Maybe. It's an odd one – the detonator hasn't been activated."

"What?" Raiden asked.  
" But the sensors are live. Which means…"

"This is Pliskin. I've located the last C4."

"Is that it?" Stillman said.

"I'm about to freeze it. Then –" Pliskin said.

"Wait! Pliskin!" Stillman yelled over the hiss of Pliskin's coolant spray. A click of the bomb freezing was heard, then a beep. "Damn! That was it!"

"What's going on?" Pliskin demanded to know.

"The detonator just woke up. It's counting down!"

"What happened?" Raiden asked.

"The big ones were rigged to be activated when all the baby C4's went offline…Raiden, the one in Shell One should be counting down, too. Hurry!"

"What's the remaining time?"

"400 seconds."

"400 seconds?"

"Raiden, move! Get to the bottom of Strut A now!" Stillman cut the connection.

Raiden sprinted out of the kitchen and down the hallway toward the BC connecting bridge. Just as he got onto the bridge the Cypher descended below the connecting bridge again. Raiden entered Strut B and entered the transformer room. The guard on the other side of the room was descending the stairs to the lowered section of the room. Raiden continued his run and exited the southern transformer room door, then exited the strut altogether. He ran onto the AB connecting bridge, and one of the guards patrolling the rectangular bridge left; only one sentry was posted to the bridge. This made crossing the bridge much easier, and he did so swiftly, evading the soldier. Raiden entered Strut A.

Upon entrance into Strut A, Raiden immediately ran south, past the cubicle guard, then turned to ascend the long set of stairs leading to the roof. Raiden passed through the door, and made his way to the large freight elevator. The elevator began to descend, and Raiden received a Codec message.

"Raiden, Pliskin, listen carefully," Stillman said.

"What is it?" Raiden asked.

"I fell for it."

"Fell for what?" Pliskin asked.

"Fatman has my number."

"A proximity trigger. Microwave."

"Microwave?" Raiden asked.

"With a seven-foot range," Stillman said. "It's not a technique I taught him. Neither was that multi-bomb booby trap. Looks like he's far surpassed me as far as explosives technique goes. As for the rest…"

"Pete, get the hell out of there!" Pliskin said.

"There's less than thirty seconds left. It's too late."

"No!" Raiden shouted.

"Pliskin, get away from Strut H, as fast as you can."

"Pete…" Pliskin said.

"Raiden, keep your distance. Use the spray from as far away as possible."

"Me?" Raiden said.

"You can do it. I know that."

"I'm not so sure…" Raiden said.

"But I am. Do it. I know you can." Stillman said. A loud explosion was heard through the Codec, then static. Pliskin and Raiden said no more, and the connection was cut.

The elevator reached the bottom of Strut A, and Raiden exited the elevator. He ran south with the new sensor in his hand. He ran through the door and moved down the hallway into the sea dock. Raiden began to walk toward the pool as the beeping became more constant. Raiden moved around the pool to the southern wall, and spied the C4. It was attached to the underbelly of a submersible hanging above the pool. Raiden stayed back as much as possible, and took out his coolant spray. Raiden squeezed the trigger and froze the bomb.


	10. Plant Chapter, Futility

Plant Chapter, Futility

After defusing the last bomb at the base of Strut A, Raiden contacted his commander via Codec.

"Colonel, I've neutralized the bomb," Raiden said.

"Good work, Raiden," Campbell congratulated Raiden. "It was a great loss for everyone."

"Yes, it was. Colonel, any damage report from the explosion?"

"Seems that the duct for diverting the contaminated sea water was destroyed. And the Shell Two Core is flooding. The explosion's ignited the oil slick on the surface of the water."

"What about the toxins?" Raiden asked.

"The chemicals stayed in containment. There's no immediate danger."

"Is the Big Shell stable?"

"Shell One was unaffected. The price was high, but the threat of the bomb is over for now."

"What's the next objective?"

"Rescue the President. Get back to the upper level."

"Roger that," Raiden said as he cut the connection.

Raiden walked around the pool and headed back to the freight elevator. Raiden was about to enter the elevator room when he received a Codec call from Colonel Campbell.

"Raiden, the terrorists have retaliated for out bomb neutralization," Campbell said.

"What?"

"A hostage was killed – shot in the head. They shot one of them on the roof, just to make sure we saw it. One of our satellites caught it, clear as day," the colonel informed Raiden.

"Damn!"  
"They announced that they would kill one every hour from now on."

"What are my orders? What should I do?" Raiden asked.

"Stay with your mission objective. Rescue the President."

"What about the other hostages?"

"President Johnson is your first priority," Campbell said.

"Priority my ass! They're all in danger!" Raiden exclaimed.

"Jack, be reasonable," Rose entered the conversation. "I know what you're feeling, but you can't save them all."

"No, not by myself," Raiden admitted.

"Are you expecting that Pliskin to come through?" Campbell said.

"Well…"

"Looks like he's turned his radio off, too," the colonel observed.

"I can't complete this mission by myself," Raiden said.

"That man was not included in the simulation. He is not a factor in this mission."

"What do you mean by that, Colonel?" Raiden asked.

"Your mission must remain a solo effort."

"What about the SEALs? No second attempt?"

"They haven't even got to planning that," Campbell said. "All we can do is wait. In the meantime, you're our only hope."

"…I understand."

"Raiden, go and rescue the President. You can start off by getting to the upper level of Strut A," Campbell said as he cut the connection.

As Raiden entered the room that contained the elevator, he heard the elevator's gate open. Raiden took cover behind a large crate near to the door through which he entered. Fortune, wielding her enormous railgun, stepped off of the elevator. She waited for the elevator gate behind her to close. As she waited, a large mass of sea lice congregated in the area in front of the dark-colored woman. The gate closed, and Fortune began to walk forward through the sea lice. As she took her steps, the sea lice pulled away from her path. Seemingly aware of Raiden's presence, she began to speak.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you were alive after all," Fortune said. She raised her large weapon and began charging it. Blue sparks began to emanate from the tip of the barrel. "I knew this moment would come." Fortune aimed the railgun directly at the crate Raiden was hiding behind. "Show yourself and finish me – Like you finished off my father! Otherwise, you'll be the one to die!" Raiden saw Fortune's hand move for her weapon's trigger.

"Oh, crap!" Raiden said. Fortune fired her immense weapon, and Raiden dove behind another crate. As he came out from behind his cover, Fortune caught a glimpse of Raiden's pale face and platinum-blond hair. Raiden came out of his roll with his SOCOM pistol at the ready, leaning out from behind a new stack of metal crates. He paid no attention to the place where he was hiding seconds ago, which was completely decimated from Fortune's railgun.

"That's not him?" Fortune said to herself, disappointedly. "This could be interesting." Fortune began to speak to Raiden. "You've seen the fires of hell, haven't you? Maybe you can give me death? My name is Fortune, lucky in war and nothing else." Fortune raised her railgun to her shoulder as the elevator behind her rose. "And without a death to call my own. Hurry, kill me, please!" Fortune said, pleadingly.

Raiden crouched behind a large metal crate. Between the crate he was hiding behind and Fortune was another stack of boxes. Fortune fired at them, completely destroying them. Raiden jumped out from behind the box and fired his pistol at her. The bullet swerved around Fortune. Raiden returned behind the crate. Fortune fired at an oil drum near Raiden, and the oil began to pour out. Raiden quickly leaped to another hiding position as the oil caught fire. A dense metal crate was Raiden's saving grace this time. Fortune fired her railgun at the box, penetrating it. She fired again, and penetrated the contents of the large crate. Raiden moved to the other side of the crate as Fortune fired once more, creating a large hole straight through the crate. Raiden jumped out again and fired three rounds at Fortune. Each strayed from its target unnaturally. Raiden retreated behind the crate, narrowly missing a shot from Fortune's railgun. Becoming more annoyed, Fortune began firing at anything and everything, bringing pipes, lighting, and sections of the ceiling down.

Raiden heard his Codec beep, so he found cover behind a crate and hid.

"Raiden, Fatman just contacted us directly," Campbell said.

"Fatman called us?" Raiden said.

"Yes. Looks like he placed a bomb on the heliport. He specifically asked for you, Raiden."

"What?"

"He killed off Peter, now he's after you," the colonel said.

"Why me?" Asked Raiden.

"How should I know?"

"Look, this is really not a good time for this. The countdown's already begun, Raiden!"

"Great. How much time do I have left?"

"500 seconds," Campbell said.

"So, he's planning on taking this place out."  
"It looks like he has a different agenda from that of Dead Cell," Colonel Campbell noted.

"What about backup?"

"None. There's no time."

"What kind of explosives is it?" Raiden asked.

"He didn't say." Campbell cut the connection.

The elevator behind Fortune lowered, then opened its gate. Vamp stepped out of the elevator and walked to Fortune's left, a step behind her.

"I'll take over, Queen," Vamp said.

"What is it?" Fortune asked, still aiming her railgun at Raiden's piece of cover.

"It seems out friend Fatman is out of control," Vamp replied.

"He'll actually try to destroy this place?" Fortune asked.

"Yes. This could unravel everything we've planned."

"But why would he do such a thing?" Fortune inquired.

"Who knows? He's nothing more than a stereotypical mad bomber now." Vamp said, while Raiden was listening in. "He's completely lost sight of our ideals. And with it…his loyalty to Commander Jackson."

"All right. I'll take care of the wayward soul." Fortune said. She deactivated the railgun, and let it hang from its sling around her. "It wasn't him," she said, changing the subject of the conversation.

"Unfortunate," Vamp said.

"I expected more of this one, really."

"But he couldn't kill you, I see."

"Completely useless," Fortune concluded.

"The he's all mine," Vamp said, as he stepped forward, in front of Fortune.

"Later, Vamp?" Fortune said affectionately. She turned around to enter the elevator.

Raiden seized the opportunity presented to him, and he jumped out from behind the pile of rubble he was hiding behind. He quickly raised his pistol, aimed at Fortune, and fired twice. Fortune immediately turned around, her eyes wide. The bullets closed in on Fortune, but their flight paths veered to the right of Fortune, and instead made contact with Vamp's forehead and stomach. Vamp's mouth hung open, and he began to fall backwards. Fortune quickly rushed to Vamp and caught him, bringing him to the ground gently. Vamp's head hung back limply. The entry wound on his forehead was centered just above his nose. Fortune looked at Raiden, as he fired off several more shots from his pistol. As soon as she saw the rounds veer off of their course, she looked back at Vamp. Raiden took cover behind rubble again, and cursed to himself.

"Vamp?" Fortune said as she placed her hand on his face. "Are you gone?" Vamp did not move. "No…" Fortune said, as she began to sob. "No, that death was meant for me. Why am I the only one that can't die!" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Alone again…Cheated out of death again…How long will you force me to live! How much longer, Dad? You've punished me enough."

Raiden stood up and moved toward Fortune with his pistol aimed at her. He walked behind her and placed the barrel of his handgun inches away from the back of Fortune's head. "I thought you could give me peace," Fortune sobbed. "But you couldn't kill me, either." Raiden moved away from Fortune and Vamp, and entered the elevator. The gate shut, and the platform rose. As soon as he could no longer see the pair, he holstered his pistol and relaxed for a moment.

Fortune mourned loudly. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and landed on Vamp's face. "There's no need for sorrow, Queen," Vamp said. Astonished, Fortune looked down at Vamp as he opened his eyes and began to breathe again. Vamp raised his head to look at Fortune in the eyes. "I died once already."

"Vamp?" Fortune said.

"I can't die twice," Vamp said.


	11. Plant Chapter, Enter Fatman

After Raiden's encounter with Fortune, he arrived at the roof of Strut A. With less than 500 seconds left to reach the heliport on Strut E and freeze a bomb, Raiden quickly set out for Strut E. Raiden arrived at the heliport with 275 seconds to spare. Raiden made note of the absence of the Harrier jet that was previously parked on the helipad as he moved down the main aisle of cargo containers cautiously; he could see the bomb set on the ground up ahead, in plain view, but he saw no sign of the person who planted it there. Raiden kneeled in front of the explosives and produced his coolant spray. After a few seconds of coolant, the bomb was no longer active. As soon as the bomb quieted down, the bomber began to make a ruckus.

Raiden heard the sound of what seemed like rollerblades behind him. He quickly turned around, but there was nothing to be found. He began slowly walking back down the main aisle of cargo containers toward the staircase leading down into the main section of Strut E. However, a voice which didn't seem to have a source began addressing Raiden.

"So you're the one…" said the voice as Raiden searched for the owner of the voice. "You're right on time, I see. I like a punctual man." Raiden heard the rollerblades again to his right, and rapidly turned. Again, nothing.

"Is he Dead Cell?" Raiden asked himself as he drew his SOCOM handgun and readied it.

"I am Fatman," said the voice. "The greatest that humanity has to offer and the lowest." Raiden turned to aim his pistol in a different direction. "Can you hear it? Hear this rhythm?" More rollerblade sounds were reverberating off of the cargo containers in every direction. "It is the rhythm of time. And life!" Fatman sped behind Raiden, passing him before Raiden could turn around to look. "Don't you love the sound? I used to hang around department store clock counters." Fatman then slid to a stop, coming into view just in front of Raiden.

Fatman lived up to his name. In addition to being overweight, he wore a very bulky, olive drab bomb blast suit which had pockets all over it. To compensate for his impeded mobility, he wore a pair of rollerblades on his feet. In his right hand, he held a glass of red wine with a straw in it, to get around the suit's face shield which masked from his nose down.

"Life is short," Fatman proclaimed. Raiden aimed his pistol at Fatman and finally managed a good look at the man. He was quite pale, with veins bulging on his bald head. In addition to being bald, Fatman also lacked any eyelashes or eyebrows – burned off from previous explosions. "Bombs tell the time with every moment of their existence," Fatman continued. "And nothing else announces its own end with such a fanfare." Fatman held out his glass of red wine to Raiden; his almost frail-looking hands were a sharp contrast to the rest of his body. "Glad you could make it. The party's about to start." Fatman brought the straw in his glass to his lips and sipped the alcohol. "Yum. Good year. Let's drink to Stillman, shall we?"

"If you destroy the Big Shell, you'll never collect your ransom," Raiden said.

"Ransom? What are you talking about?" Fatman inquired.

"Thirty billion dollars in cash!" Raiden replied.

"So that's what's going on, huh?" Fatman said to himself.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Raiden demanded.

"Oh, you'll know soon enough. And I could care less about what they plan to do. My ambitions are much more simple: To be the most famous bomber of them all."

"You're nuts. No one's going to give a damn about you."

"Oh, yes they will. I'll go down in history – as the man who beat Peter Stillman. That's the only reason I assisted them."

"Like hell you beat Stillman! He had your number," Raiden was quick to point out.

"What did you say!"

"You have nothing of his courage or –," Raiden was cut off by Fatman's laughter. "What're you laughing at!"

"That crock died a dishonorable death six months ago," informed Fatman.

"Six months ago…the liquidation of Dead Cell," Raiden pieced together.

"Call it what you want. Only the right stuff survived that hell," Fatman said. "It set me free, you know. Opened the way to a new dimension. So that I could become the emperor among detonation devotees!" Fatman said as he raised his now-empty glass.

"You're nothing but a common criminal," Raiden said. "And that's the only way people will ever remember you." Fatman threw his glass on the ground, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

"How dare you! I'm an artist!" Fatman said as he skated behind a cargo container. "That's why I dislike boorish military types," Fatman said from behind cover. Fatman leaned out from behind the container and said quite giddily, "It's time to start the party! This is how it works: I plant a bomb and it will explode soon after that. If you prefer to stay in one piece, you'll have to disable my bombs." Fatman then quoted, "'Laugh and grow fat!' Let's move!"

Raiden immediately checked his bomb sensor and found a bomb to his left and to his right. He made a dash to the bomb on his right, first. He found the bomb attached to the side of a cargo container, in plain sight. Raiden took his coolant spray and quickly disarmed the C4. Raiden looked to where the other bomb should have been and spotted it on the side of a crate. He ran to the bomb, crouched, and disarmed the bomb. Raiden checked his bomb sensor and found no sign of more explosives in the area. Now, Raiden could concentrate on defeating Fatman. But before Raiden could find Fatman, he heard Fatman shout, "One!" Fatman had planted a bomb, but had not yet activated the count­down. Raiden sprinted to where he heard Fatman and found him skating away from him. Raiden quickly raised his SOCOM pistol and fired three shots at Fatman. All three bullets hit, and Fatman went sprawling across the helipad. Even though the bullets hit, they did not harm Fatman; his blast suit was more than enough to stop .45 caliber pistol rounds. Raiden moved to where he had a clear line of sight on Fatman's exposed head. As Fatman was recovering from his fall, Raiden took aim and fired a single bullet into Fatman's skull. Amazingly, this did not kill him, although he admitted defeat. While Raiden found the last bomb Fatman planted and defused it, Fatman crawled to a nearby crate and propped himself up against it.

Raiden returned to where Fatman lay, and drew his pistol. Blood dripped down from his head to his blast suit, staining the fabric.

"My suit…Oh no…I've nothing to wear to the party…" Fatman said.

"The party's over for you," Raiden said.

"That's what you think."

"What do you mean?" Raiden asked. Fatman reached into one of his many pockets and produced a small electronic device. He pressed a button on the remote control. Raiden reached and grabbed Fatman's shoulder. "What did you just do?" Raiden grabbed the device. "What is this?"

"I have beautiful hands." Fatman said, as he raised his left hand in the air. "These delicate hands can craft works of art." Raiden ripped off Fatman's face mask and demanded answers.

"Answer me! What the hell is this?"

"It's the switch for the biggest bomb in the entire place," Fatman said. Raiden tossed the device to the ground and aimed at it with his SOCOM pistol. "No use. Once it's activated, there's no stopping the count," Fatman explained.

"Where did you plant it?" Raiden inquired as he trained his weapon on Fatman once again. "Where is it?"

"Somewhere in this area," Fatman said, "Don't worry, it's very close by."

"Where is it?" Raiden asked again, pulling the hammer back on his pistol.

"Go ahead, shoot me. I'm already dead," Fatman said.

"Damn!" Raiden cursed.

"Think you can find it? When it goes off, it'll take the Big Shell with it."

"Tell me where I can find the bomb," Raiden said.

"That's your problem. This is the highlight of the party! Bring it on, I say. They'll be happy, too. I die here…and start my legend! Too bad you won't be around to see the movies. Laugh and grow fat!" were Fatman's last words before he passed away.

Raiden was quick to check his bomb sensor and saw that there was a high concentration of bomb-scent right where Raiden was standing. He put the pieces together and attempted to move Fatman's corpse. As he did so, he heard something fall onto the ground. Raiden looked and found a very large package of C4 explosives. Raiden set down Fatman's body and disarmed the C4. After he did so, Raiden received a codec call from his commanding officer.

"Good work, Raiden," the Colonel said, "Looks like all the bombs are neutralized. One of their main leverages is now gone. That leaves –"

"Colonel," Raiden interjected, "Fatman didn't seem to know about the ransom demands."

"Intentionally kept in the dark, I'd say," Campbell hypothesized, "He seemed to be coming from a very different place from the other terrorists. Raiden, a lot of hostages, our President included, are still in danger. Keep your mind focused on protecting them."

"What are my orders?" Raiden asked.

"Rescue the President."

"We have no idea where he is," Raiden pointed out.

"You haven't been in the central core yet. I suggest you start there."

"Wait, I have another call. Want me to take it?" Raiden said.

"No, I'll go offline. Best to keep our presence unknown," Campbell said. Raiden switched to his incoming call and found Pliskin speaking to him.

"How're you doing, kid?" Pliskin asked.

"Pliskin? Is everything all right?"

"Could be better. Looks like I was out cold for a while," Pliskin stated.

"How did you manage to stay alive?" Raiden asked.

"Had a little help from a friend."

"Friend?"

"What about the bomb?" Pliskin disregarded Raiden's inquiry.

:Defused. And Fatman, too," Raiden replied.

"That's good news."

"How's Shell 2?"

"It's a mess. The bomb crippled H Strut." Pliskin explained.

"What about the toxins?" Raiden asked, referring to what Colonel Campbell told him.

"The what?"

"If the Big Shell blows up, the explosion is expected to produce massive amounts of toxins," Raiden explained.

"Never heard anything about that."

"Huh?"

"Well, looks like there's not much danger of that in any case. But the central core is starting to flood. It won't last much longer," Pliskin noted.

"What about the President and the other hostages?"

"They weren't in Shell 2. They must be in Shell 1."

"We need to get the hostages out of here now," Raiden said.

"It's too far from Manhatten for a swim," Pliskin said.

"What about the lifeboats?" Raiden asked.

"There doesn't seem to be any. Doesn't make any sense," Pliskin said.

"So, a chopper is our only extraction?" Raiden asked.

"Right. And it comes with a passenger limit. Intel has it that there are about thirty hostages."

"It'd take more than a single trip," Raiden said.

"We'll have to come back."

"Can you pilot a chopper?" Raiden asked.

"No," Pliskin elaborated, "But I brought a gearhead with me. He's a good guy. I'll introduce you later."

"Pliskin, I'm on the heliport right now, but I don't see their Harrier. It's out somewhere."

"We'd better move now, then. Out chances with a Harrier after us are close to nothing." Pliskin said.

"Do you know where the President is?" asked Raiden.

"No. That one's all yours," Pliskin said.

"The President is at the top of our rescue list. These are our orders, Lieutenant J.G.,"

"Your orders. Not mine," Pliskin rebuttled.

"What?"

"See you later." Pliskin said as he cut the connection.


	12. Plant Chapter, Enter Ninja

With Fatman defeated and the threat of explosives gone, Raiden approached the stairwell leading down from the Strut E helipad. When he was no more then twenty feet from the staircase, a figure leaped out from behind a stack of crates, performing an aerial cartwheel, then landing in a crouched position between Raiden and the stairwell. Raiden immediately had his pistol drawn and aimed at the stranger. Now that the person was in broad daylight, Raiden could get a good look at how he was dressed.

He wore what looked to be an exoskeleton – a cybernetic suit which gave the wearer increased strength and agility, in addition to heightened reflexes. Its color was predominantly grey, with sections of white along the sides of the thighs and forearms, and red composing the neck, shoulders, and some of the biceps. Fitted with the exoskeleton was a full white helmet, including an opaque faceplate – cameras fed a screen on the inside of the faceplate video. On his back, he wore a sheathed katana. This must have been the ninja Olga was talking about earlier.

"You passed with flying colors," Said the stranger, with his voice filtered to maintain anonymity.

"Identify yourself!" demanded Raiden. The exoskeleton-clad stranger reached behind his head and drew his katana, holding it out to Raiden in a menacing fashion.

"I'm like you…I have no name."

"Are you Mr. X?" Raiden asked, recognizing the voice.

"Hm. If you like," Responded the ninja, sheathing his sword, "But come, let's get out of the open. Follow me." Mr. X walked down the staircase, leading Raiden to a solitary alcove on the other side of the strut.

"Are you with FOXHOUND, too?" Raiden asked.

"Neither enemy nor friend," Mr. X paused. "Just a messenger from the

La-li-lu­­­­­­-le-­lo." Mr. X tapped the base of his neck, indicating to Raiden to switch to codec communication.

"This is safer, I think," the ninja said.

"Safe from what?" Raiden asked.

"Eavesdropping, of course," the ninja answered.

"All right. Why did you contact me?"

"I've been ordered to give you back-up, including the relaying of necessary intel," the ninja said.

"Ordered by whom?" Raiden asked. The ninja remained silent. "Why won't you identify yourself?"

"There is no need for you to know," the ninja responded.

"I'll decide whether I need to know," Raiden said.

"You are not yet trusted to make such decisions," the ninja quickly said matter-of-factly. "I'll tell you something you do need to know, instead: the current location of the President."

"What!"

"Or rather, the person who knows the current location of the President," the ninja clarified.

"Who is it?" Raiden asked.

"A Secret Service agent named Ames, currently being held with the other hostages."

"Secret Service, huh."

"The head of the President's security detail." the ninja explained, "Ames has been fitted with the same type of VIP nanomachine system as the President. If you're within range, you should be able to communicate."

"Why are you telling me this?" Raiden inquired.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" the ninja said, slightly annoyed.

"There's no reason for me to believe any of this. You understand that?"

"Of course. But you also have no choice but to believe. Do you have any other leads?" the ninja asked. Raiden had no reply..

"Where are those hostages?" Raiden asked. The ninja gave a low chuckle.

"The hostages are being held in the conference hall – B1 conference hall in the Shell 1 core. You'll find Ames there." The ninja informed Raiden.

"What does he look like?"

"We don't know if it is indeed a 'he'. I've never met this person either." The ninja admitted.

"How am I supposed to look for someone without even a description?"

"Use your ears," the ninja hinted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raiden asked, puzzled.

"Ames has a pacemaker. You'll be able to hear the machine sound in the heartbeat." The ninja said.

"You expect me to walk up to these hostages and listen to every one of their heartbeats?" Raiden said.

"The sound is too minute to detect unamplified. You'd be captured immediately."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Raiden asked.

"Use the directional microphone." The ninja said, as he handed Raiden a set of headphones and a device whose basic shape resembled a large pistol. "Take this, too." The ninja gave Raiden a security card. "This security card will unlock all level two security doors, including the one into the core. It's called a PAN card. It works together with your body's own electronic field. And watch yourself. The core is more heavily guarded than any other section of the Big Shell. You'll get nowhere dressed like that." Raiden looked down at his Skull Suit. "Try this instead." The ninja tossed Raiden a uniform similar to that of the Russian militia's.

"One of the terrorists'?" Asked Raiden.

"The surveillance camera in the core won't let you get in the elevator without the right uniform." The ninja explained.

"You want me to disguise myself?" Raiden asked, childishly.

"Men assigned to the core and those on perimeter duty are given different colors to wear. Your new outfit will work only in some areas, and not others." The ninja continued, "The uniform alone won't fool them either."

"You're talking about weapons." Raiden followed.

"Right. You need an AK."

"But I saw them carrying an AN-94," Raiden protested.

"All men assigned to the core section carry AK's," the ninja explained.

"So, without an AK-74u, someone will see through me really quick," Raiden thought aloud.

"You can take care of the weapon issue yourself. One other thing –"

"There's more?" Raiden interrupted.

"You'll also have to pass a retinal scan to get into the conference hall," the ninja said.

"Biometrics. Crap," Raiden cursed.

"Nothing but the real thing will suffice. Deception is not an option here." The ninja said, "I suggest you hurry. They have the nuke on their side."

"The nuke? They have a nuclear weapon with them?" Raiden asked, astonished.

"You didn't find their continuing presence here unusual? Even with the President as hostage, this is an island, and they have no visible means of escape."

"Even if they do have a nuke, the warhead is no good without an access code." Raiden explained to the ninja the inner workings of nuclear fail-safe plans, "The security lockout can't be bypassed."

"They don't need to." The ninja replied. "They have the code. You saw it too, I believe. They Navy man with half a handcuff." Raiden thought back to Strut B, when he first met Pliskin. "The other half of it is on the football, of the Black Case if you like. The nuclear button. And now they have it."

"Why did they have to bring the football along? To a decontamination plant, of all places," asked Raiden.

"But they did have to. Because, after all, the Big Shell is the farthest thing from a cleanup plant there is." The ninja revealed.

"What?" Raiden exclaimed.

"Dead Cell didn't have to bring a nuke along with them. It was right here to begin with. Nothing in this affair is what it seems," The ninja added.

"A cover-up? But why? For what?" Raiden asked hurriedly.

"For Metal Gear, that is housed here."

"Metal Gear?" Raiden said, shocked.

"The very same. Bi-pedal nuke-capable vehicle of Shadow Moses infamy. This place is the R&D center for its newest incarnation." The ninja said.

"What the hell is going on?" Raiden asked, confused. The ninja laughed.

"Better ask Ames the rest," The ninja said, as he handed Riaden a cell phone.

"What's this for?" Asked Raiden.

"You might be glad you have it," The ninja said. Raiden looked down at the cell phone in his hand.

"What do I need a cell phone for?" Raiden asked. He looked up, and the ninja was gone. He looked around his surroundings, but he found no trace of the ninja. Raiden called Colonel Campbell on the codec. "Colonel, who was that man just now?"

"He's not one of ours," Campbell confirmed. "No, we have no one like that in our unit."

"He said that the Big Shell is housing a new model of Metal Gear," Raiden said.

"First I've heard of it."

"Colonel, what are you not telling me?" Raiden asked.

"I've been completely open with you, Raiden. I've told you everything."

"Is that everything you know, or everything I need to know?"

"Snap out of it, Raiden!" The Colonel commanded. "I'll have the Metal Gear rumor looked into. You need to make contact with this Ames."

"So you believe that ninja?" Raiden asked.

"Since we have no leads on the President's current location, we have no other alternatives." Colonel Campbell said. "Right now, collect as much data as you can, including anything on Metal Gear."

"Are those my orders?" Raiden asked.

"Yes, they are. Disguise yourself as an enemy soldier and infiltrate the Shell 1 core."

"Understood," Raiden said as he cut the connection with the Colonel.


End file.
